


Uncomplicated and Good

by Caelum (zanarkand)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Acceptance, Angst, I have kinks about all three, I like making grown men cry (no shame), Insecurity, Kissing, M/M, Noct whump, Prompto being his adorable best friend self, Scars, Spoilers, but not the syringe kind, but only if you've finished the game, here there be needles, hints of Promptis but not really, idk it's not really that bad, so maybe stay away if you're squeamish, well maybe mild spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-11
Updated: 2017-02-21
Packaged: 2018-09-23 15:36:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9663839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zanarkand/pseuds/Caelum
Summary: "It happened so fast Noctis didn't even have time to react. One moment he was lunging forward, jabbing his lance into a sahagin's side, the next he felt his right foot being grabbed in a sharp, biting grip just above the ankle, and then he was lying on his back struggling frantically to get free."What should have been a simple fight quickly turns deadly, and no one's sure Noct will make it out alive. Ignis finds the thought of a world without Noct terrifying and lonely.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is my first Final Fantasy XV fic, these boys have burrowed into my brain and refuse to get out. I love them so much, even though I torture them. For anyone curious, they're around the area of/at Telghey Haven, although a few creative liberties might have been taken, I can't remember if there are sahagins in that area. Also, I am not a doctor. I don't think it's too far off, or too into the realm of "this would totally never happen," but I totally made shit up.
> 
> Spoilers, but only if you've beaten the game, otherwise you won't realise they're spoilers. So I guess... not exactly spoilers?! Well, minor spoilers for the beginning of the game, I suppose.

It happened so fast Noctis didn't even have time to react. One moment he was lunging forward, jabbing his lance into a sahagin's side, the next he felt his right foot being grabbed in a sharp, biting grip just above the ankle, and then he was lying on his back struggling frantically to get free. His weapon had flown out of his hand when he'd fell, and though he scrabbled around in the dirt, groping desperately, his fingers never brushed across it. He wished he could just pull another weapon out of the Arsenal, but the magic usually only let him keep one out at a time, unless it was the Royal Arms, and then the magic was fickle, only letting him pull out multiple arms when _it_ deemed, never when _he_ wanted them. Not to mention it took a lot of strength and focus, neither of which he felt right now.

Right now, he mostly just felt panic. Especially when Ignis looked across to him and spotted his predicament and immediately yelled. 

"Noct!" Ignis' voice was slightly panicked, a reflection of Noct's feelings. He watched as Ignis fought with the sahagin slashing at him, clearly anxious to finish it off and rush to Noct's side. He'd love the rescue—it'd make great fantasy fodder for sure, but all improper thoughts of his advisor aside, he was truly in a bit of bind, unfortunately surrounded by three sahagins now, along with the one whose teeth still had a firm hold of his foot. There was no way Ignis would be able to get to him fast enough before he found himself in serious trouble. 

"You alright, Noct?" Gladio called, dragging his greatsword across one of the sahagins' tough skin, slicing deeply into it. The creature let out a low growl, swiping at Gladio, who easily dodged. 

"Fine!" Noct called back, though he wasn't sure if he was at all. "Worry about your own hide!" Gladio was busy taking on two of them, he didn't have time to come rescue a stupid prince— _technically king now_ , he reminded himself—that couldn't keep himself out of trouble. 

Noctis squirmed, kicking his caught leg towards the sahagin, hoping to catch it off guard enough to get free, even putting his hands against its slimy, scaly skin for extra leverage. He could feel rocks digging painfully into his back beneath him, scraping across the old scars every time he jerked. He ignored it though, knowing he needed to get free quick or he might not have a foot left, if he even survived the fight. A flash of fear shuddered through him at that thought, but he shoved it aside. Now was not the time to think of such things. Unfortunately, the sahagin was stubborn, and clung onto him, its teeth slowly piercing through his boot. The thought drove him further into panic, and he fought harder. 

A sahagin to his left snapped at his arm, and he lashed out on instinct, letting go of the one he was holding, swinging wildly, managing to smack the attacking one across the face. He knew as soon as it happened that it was a mistake, and that was confirmed when he felt claws raking down his arm, flaying the skin open. Noct yelled, burning pain assaulting him almost immediately, and began struggling even more fiercely, wanting nothing more to get free and tear into these beasts. Another sahagin to his right snapped at his exposed side, teeth grazing him enough to leave shallow gashes that soon began to ooze blood, large beaded droplets that welled up before sluggishly trailing down to the ground. He grit his teeth, paying no mind to the throbbing in his side as he tried to sit himself up, thinking to maybe shove the sahagin off, but the wretched things wouldn't let him, snapping at him and easily keeping him on his back. 

"Dammit!" That was Gladio cursing, rushing up with his greatsword to swing at the beast that had clawed his arm a short while ago, knocking him away with a powerful swing. For a moment, Noctis was relieved, thinking he'd been rescued, but the sahagin was up quick, surprisingly fast for such an unwieldy-looking creature, and all of Gladio's attention was soon taken up with fighting him off, one of the others that had been circling Noct also joining in. 

He hurriedly looked around, pausing a moment in his struggles to locate the other two members of their group. Ignis was still grappling with the sahagin from earlier, seemingly having a bit of trouble of his own. Prompto was a ways down the bank, up to his knees in the river, firing off shots one after another as two of them half-circled him, sweeping their powerful tails at him every so often, keeping him constantly jumping and dodging, but ultimately trapped in his position. Neither of them would be able to help him right now. He was on his own. 

It was weird, though. Noctis couldn't recall them ever having to fight off so many at once. They'd clearly stumbled into some kind of sahagin lair. For the first time, he seriously began to doubt if any of them would get out of this alive. It scared him, greatly. He swallowed heavily, doing his best to tamp down the tendrils of fear creeping through him, and began to kick out again. He wasn't going to go down without a fight. 

Just then, the sahagin's teeth tightened down on him, at last piercing through his boots and breaking into the soft skin of his leg, causing him to grunt in pain. He could feel blood immediately running down his leg in little rivulets, pooling into his sock down in his boot. Frustrated, he flung a punch into the sahagin's snout, thinking that maybe it would be enough of a distraction for it to stop biting. 

It was—but only for a second. Noct felt its teeth letting up, but before he could take the chance to scramble away, the teeth were back, biting down even harder, digging deep into his skin, making him gasp for breath at each stab of pain that shot through his leg. Knowing he didn't have much time, he fought once more to sit up, this time succeeding now that two of the sahagin were tackling Gladio. He reached forward and grabbed the snout clamped down on his leg, using all the strength he had left to try and pry its mouth open. It growled low in its throat, not liking the treatment, but retained its hold, refusing to let go. 

In his desperate desire to get free, he paid little attention to the fourth sahagin that had been near him, the one that, up until now, had been content to circle around him and bide its time, not seeing a need to attack him when its companions were doing such a fine job. Now, however, sensing the potential shift in battle, it at last struck, sharp claws swinging down in a heavy arc. 

Noctis felt them tearing into his back, across his old scars, _deep_ , his skin ripping apart easily as the creature snarled and slashed at him again, and the pain was so immense that for a moment his vision whited out and he couldn't breath. A third slash then, and Noctis _screamed_. The sound echoed across the water, seemingly amplified, and three heads jerked up from their own battles to see their prince's dire predicament. 

"Noct!" Ignis yelled in terror this time, adrenaline kicking in and giving him the burst he needed to shove the attacking sahagin away and drive his lance deep into its skull, piercing its brain and killing it. He jerked the rod back out and began running towards Noctis, intent on saving him. 

Prompto was quicker. He'd already been in the midst of finishing his own battles when Noct had screamed, and now he saw that the sahagin behind Noct would shred him to pieces before Ignis ever reached him. He didn't think, just reacted, jumping onto a nearby rock that gave him just the right angle to take quick aim and fire. The shot rang true, bullet flying through the air and burrowing into the side of the sahagin's head. A few more, and it was down, letting out one last dying snarl. 

Ignis, meanwhile, had reached the one that was still firmly attached to Noct's leg, and quickly made short work of it, the adrenaline still rushing through him giving him the needed strength. The other two reached them just as he was extracting Noctis from the now dead beast. 

"Here." Prompto was already shoving a hi-potion at Ignis as he carefully cradled the injured prince, sitting down and leaning Noct against him, mindful of his wounds. Ignis took it, placing it in Noct's right hand, curling his fingers around it. 

"Noct? Noct, are you with us? I need you to squeeze your right hand," Ignis said urgently. Noct was moaning against him, eyes squeezed tightly shut, breath choppy and gasping. Any other time, any other situation, Ignis would have been thrilled, the image of a moaning prince having featured in many a late-night fantasy. Now though, all he felt was overwhelming fear, his usual calm demeanour shattered in the face of potentially losing Noct. 

"Hey buddy, you with us?" Prompto said, gently patting at his cheek, but Noct was lost in pain, no longer aware of what was going on. 

"I'll do it for him," Gladio said gruffly, and closed his own hand around Noct's forcefully, until the vial at last broke and the green glow of the curative enveloped him. They all watched anxiously for a few moments, until finally Noct's breathing evened out and his moans dropped off into quiet whimpers before ceasing altogether as his body suddenly sagged against Ignis'. He'd passed out—not entirely a good sign, but not necessarily a bad one, either. 

No one was ready to look at his back just yet, knowing that the potion wouldn't have been enough to fully heal it, but Ignis chanced a look at his left arm, relieved to see that the gaping wounds had knitted closed, and in a few days would be nothing more than faint white lines. The wounds in his side and leg likely looked the same, though he'd double check at camp later, just to be sure. 

"Thank the Six," Prompto breathed, sagging down to the ground in relief, his gun falling out of a suddenly limp hand. 

Privately, Ignis heartily echoed the sentiment, though out loud all he said was, "We should hurry and get to a haven before anything else attacks. We're sitting ducks at the moment." 

Gladio grunted agreement, pulling his map out of his back pocket and unfolding it. "There's one nearby," he said after a moment's study. He pointed a finger at it, tapping the paper a few times. "If we hurry, we could probably make it in about forty-five minutes. Maybe less, if you speed, Iggy." 

Ignis nodded. "I think an exception can be made this once," he said. 

They cleared out of there quickly, gathering up all the weapons and the earlier gathered provisions that had been their reason for being there in the first place. Gladio carefully picked up the now unconscious prince, resting him gently against his shoulder much like he would a small infant, the only way that kept his back from touching anything and causing him more pain. From there it was a short trip back to the Regalia, and between the three of them they got Noct stretched out on his stomach across the back seat, his head somewhat awkwardly resting in Ignis' lap while Prompto drove and Gladio sat in the front passenger seat. Under normal circumstances, Ignis wouldn't have dared trusted Prompto behind the wheel of the Regalia, but he knew himself well enough to admit that he'd have a hard time doing the reckless driving required to get them to camp fast. 

And while he was being honest with himself, he could also admit that he wanted to be with Noct. Now that the adrenaline was finally wearing off, he was left feeling shaky, flooded with terror at what might have happened if Prompto had been just a little slower, or his aim a little off. Had they not gotten there in time, Noct could have... 

Ignis forced the thought away. Gently, he carded his fingers through Noct's hair while Prompto drove, not minding all the dirt and grit he encountered. The action was a soothing balm to his nerves, and sorely needed. They reached the parking spot near the haven in good time, and Ignis gently eased himself out from under Noct, the three of them quickly unloading the necessary gear for camping. It was a bit trickier with only two of them available to carry it, but they managed. Luckily the haven wasn't far, and they ran into no trouble on the path down. 

Once they made it up on to the flat rock, Ignis and Prompto both sat their things down with relief, and then hurriedly set to pitching the tent while Gladio still held onto Noctis. There was still a couple hours daylight left, but the wind was picking up and the clouds were darkening, indicating a storm was on its way. 

"Here," Prompto said, tossing a bedroll at Ignis, and he caught it with a grim nod, climbing inside the now finished tent to lay it out. Gladio ducked inside, careful not to jostle Noct too much, and laid him down on the bedroll. 

"We better get the rest of the stuff inside," he said. "Storm's just about here." 

Ignis could tell. The wind was rippling the canvas of the tent badly, and he could also hear it whistling loudly through the trees. "If you two would be so kind as to bring it in, I'll start on Noct's back," he said, and they nodded, stepping back out. 

Prompto was back soon, carting in their bag of medical supplies, which he set down near Ignis, who had just settled himself next to Noctis. "Is he going to be okay, you think?" Prompto asked, blushing at the slight waver in his voice. 

Ignis pushed his glasses up his nose some, giving the younger boy a solemn look. "I hope so," was all he said. Prompto turned his gaze to his unconscious friend for a moment, and then headed back out to get more stuff. 

Alone for the time being, Ignis took a deep breath and at last looked down at Noct's back. The gruesome sight that met his eyes made him wince. Even with the earlier potion, the wounds were deep, wide open and overlapping, the skin positively shredded in places. Likely the potion had only stopped the bleeding, and did no sort of healing work at all. 

"I'm going to need sterile water," he told Gladio as the man stepped through the tent, several bags in each hand. 

Gladio raised an eyebrow as he set the bags down. "The river's still nearby, but getting a fire going will be difficult right now." 

Ignis waved that away. "Prompto can set up a tarp, we've got the poles for it, and we can use the camping stove if we have to," he said unconcernedly. "I need to wash these wounds before they get infected." 

Gladio chanced a look down, grimacing when he saw the state of Noct's back. "Potion didn't help, huh?" 

"It stopped the bleeding," Ignis said flatly. Which _was_ helpful, but it meant Noct still wasn't completely out of danger yet. 

Gladio sighed. "We'll get right on it," he said, just as Prompto darted in, holding some of Ignis' cooking equipment. 

"Get right on what?" he asked. Gladio put a hand on his chest and began pushing him backwards, out of the tent. "Hey!" 

"We'll need that outside," Gladio said, gesturing to the small stove. "Iggy needs some clean water, so we're gonna get it for him. Come on, chocobo butt." 

"It is _not_ a chocobo butt!" Prompto squeaked in indignation, squawking with even more outrage when Gladio reached out a hand to ruffle said chocobo butt hair. Not that Ignis would mention it, but he'd sounded rather like a chocobo just then. 

"You even wark like one," he heard as they left the tent, and he shook his head, smiling slightly at their antics. It was good. They'd need to keep their spirits up. The next few days would likely be tense and tough, waiting on Noct to wake up. 

Speaking of... he turned his attention once more to Noct, staring at his back for a moment. Even disregarding the wounds, it was a mess. Blood was everywhere, most of it dried and dark, with some of the thicker patches still tacky in places. Small rocks and bits of gravel were pressed into his skin, almost embedded in it, and dirt was mixed in with the lot of it. His jacket was also shredded, long tattered strips dangling from the collar, some of them stuck fast to his back by the blood. There would be no saving it. 

Sighing, he rummaged in the bag beside him for a pair of scissors, and began carefully cutting away what he could, glad Noct was unconscious. The dried pieces he left alone, knowing he'd need the warm water to remove them. Once he'd done that, he turned his attention to Noct's boots, gently pulling them off along with the bloody sock, which he replaced with a clean one once he'd inspected the leg—two white dots were the only sign of the bite he'd endured earlier. After that he eased Noct up to pull the rest of his jacket and shirt away, leaving him bare-chested. He looked to Noct's right side where he'd seen blood earlier, but whatever wound had been there, there wasn't even a trace of now, so it must not have been a serious one. He sighed. If only they could have been so lucky with Noct's back. 

At last, having nothing else to do for Noct, he started looking through their supplies, seeing what they had and trying to decide what might be useful. Painkillers, which would likely prove helpful once Noct awoke, but were not so much now. Tufts of phoenix down feathers, but he would prefer Noct stay unconscious for what was coming. Antidotes, smelling salts, remedies... absolutely useless. Potions, but given that the hi-potion had barely had an effect... What he wouldn't give for a hi-elixir, or even just a regular one. Unfortunately, they'd run out the previous night on a hunt, and hadn't yet made it into town to replenish their supply. That had originally been planned for tomorrow. 

He rubbed briefly at his temples, and finally pulled out some bandages. They'd just have to do this the old-fashioned way. 

* * *

Eventually Gladio and Prompto returned from the river, soaking wet and each carrying a large pot of water. The storm was in full force by now, the wind howling around their tent while the thunder rattled it. The rain was coming down in sheets, weighing the top of the tent down with gathered water that Ignis would have to get up and push off every so often, lest it started leaking through. Lightning occasionally rent the sky, brightening the whole tent up. Ignis had gone back to running his fingers through Noct's hair, having little else to do while he waited. 

It amazed him that Noct could stay unaware through all of this. Amazed him, and scared him. He kept finding himself staring intently at Noct's back, watching for the rise and fall that told him his friend was still breathing. There'd been moments in battle before, where things got intense and he wasn't always sure if Noct would make it, but Noct had always quickly rallied and managed to come out relatively unscathed, and any more serious injuries had always been easily taken care of by a potion. None of them had been this badly injured before. 

He wouldn't know what to do with himself if Noctis died. It wasn't even about Noctis being king, or Ignis' vow to always protect him. It was that Noctis brought joy and meaning to his life, had done since they were children and Ignis had first arrived at the Citadel, traumatised by his parents' deaths and unwilling to talk. Even though he'd been all of three then, Noctis had understood when no one else had, and had been content with letting Ignis be. As they'd gotten older, he'd become the friend that Ignis had never knew he needed, even after Ignis had been officially chosen to be his future advisor, even after Noct's accident. 

He didn't know for sure when his feelings for Noct had changed into something more. Some time a few years ago. He'd never dared to say anything, knowing the trust that King Regis had placed in him, and not wanting to abuse that trust. And he'd always known that someday Noctis would have to grow up and marry a woman, someone that could be his queen and give him an heir to carry on the Lucis Caelum line. Even if Noctis were into guys—and Ignis really had no idea, though sometimes he'd wondered about Noct and Prompto, back when they were in high school—there was no way that he and Noct could ever work out long term. 

That didn't stop Noct from frequently featuring in his dreams and fantasies, however. There'd been many a night when he was younger that he'd woken up to find his boxers uncomfortably wet and Noctis' name spilling in a harsh groan from his lips. He'd always felt ashamed and guilty, knowing that he shouldn't be thinking of the prince in such a manner, but the first time he'd given in and purposely concocted a fantasy of him and Noct together, he'd came harder than he ever had in his life. 

"Yo, Iggy! Your water's heating!" Gladio called, pulling down the zipper and sticking his head through the tent flap, dripping rain water onto the floor. "How's his royal pain in our ass?" 

Ignis stirred, interrupted in his musing of the past, and looked at Gladio in disapproval, tossing him a towel. "Still unconscious," he said tersely, "but alive." 

"Right," Gladio said as he caught it, and disappeared again. Scarcely ten minutes later he was back, Prompto following along behind him, looking like a bedraggled chocobo that had been taken through the mud a few times. Ignis stared. 

Prompto scowled at him, crossing his arms across his chest defensively. "I slipped." 

"Ah." Ignis nodded, not caring to question it, his attention switching over to Noctis as Gladio set the pot of water down. 

"Should be warm, but not too hot for him now," Gladio said, settling in on the other side of Noctis. Prompto hovered near the entrance of the tent, watching them, feeling helpless but not sure what he could do that wouldn't leave him in the way. 

Ignis grabbed one of the cloths he'd set out earlier and tossed it to Gladio, before dipping his own in the water and wringing out the excess. The two of them then got to work on Noct's back, working slowly and carefully, wiping away all the dirt and blood and gravel around the wounds, and softening and pulling up the dried strips of fabric as gently as they could. Noct never quite came to, but he did drift into a lighter level of unconsciousness, his body tensing and flinching when one of them was too harsh. 

At last they had him mostly clean, and Ignis stared down at him, thinking. 

"What's up, Iggy?" Gladio asked. 

"We need to rinse out the wounds with some of this water," he finally said. "Normally I would suggest we do so outside, but the storm leaves that an unlikely choice. I would also prefer we not flood his bedroll, however." 

There was silence for a moment, and then Prompto spoke hesitantly. "There's an extra tarp we could put under him. And we have a few extra towels that could soak up the excess." 

Ignis nodded at him, gracing him with a small but genuine smile. "Excellent thinking, Prompto," he said. "If you'll be so kind as to fetch them..." 

"Sure!" Prompto flashed him a grin as he unzipped the tent. "Be back in a jiffy!" He gave them a quick thumbs up and then stepped out. 

Gladio sighed, looking down at their prince. "This is pretty serious, Iggy," he said quietly. 

"Yes," Ignis agreed, his voice equally as soft. "Even if he manages to avoid an infection and wake in a couple of days, his back is going to take a long time to heal. He'll have to take it easy for awhile." 

"He'll hate that." 

"I'm aware. But he'll have little choice in the matter." 

They were quiet then until Prompto returned, lugging a wadded up tarp which he dropped unceremoniously to the floor of the tent. "How are we going to get it under him?" he asked. 

Ignis thought for a moment. "Gladio can move him while you unroll the tarp and get it into place, then we'll put him back on top of it and get the towels arranged. I need to go reheat the water." 

Prompto nodded, and Ignis stood, stretching a moment before grabbing the pot and leaving them to it. He was surprised when he stepped out to find that the storm had died down some—he hadn't noticed before, as he'd been so intent on Noctis. The wind had mostly stopped, and though the rain was still steady, it was no longer sheeting. 

He stepped over to the camp stove and turned it up on high as he set the pot down, adding in some more water from the second pot they'd brought, and trying not to be impatient. He'd mastered patience years ago, dealing with a moody teenage Noct, but in the last few hours that skill had completely disappeared, and he actually found himself drumming his fingers on the fold-out table as he stared at the stove. Thankfully a few minutes later the water was boiling, and he turned it off, setting it aside to cool as he went to check on the others. 

"How's it coming?" he asked, peering in. 

"Great!" Prompto gave another thumbs up in his direction, not turning away from watching as Gladio set Noct gently down onto the tarp, ready to dash in and pile towels around him. Ignis watched for a moment, and then went back to fetch the water. 

Once everyone was situated, he looked at the other two solemnly. "I'm hoping he won't wake for this," he said. "But if he does, be prepared to hold him down." 

"No problem," Gladio said, and Prompto nodded at him, though he was suddenly looking a bit sick. Ignis hoped he'd hold it together, because the next part would be even worse, and he'd need him for it. 

Luckily Noctis remained unconscious still, though he did jerk a few times as the water ran gently over his back. Ignis watched the water run down to the towels, making a face at the bits of dirt and gravel and blood that soon stained the white fabric. As long as it'd been, it'd be a miracle at this point if Noct didn't wind up with an infection. 

When he'd gotten the wounds as clean and dry as he could, he sat back, once more looking at the other two, suddenly reluctant. He knew Gladio could handle what came next, but he didn't need Prompto to be throwing up all over Noct's back. But he needed two people, and he wasn't sure Prompto would be strong enough to hold Noctis down. 

"What is it?" Prompto asked nervously, sensing he wasn't going to like whatever Ignis was thinking. 

Ignis sighed, shoving at his glasses and ignoring the low throbbing that was starting up in his head. There'd be time for him to nurse his headache later. Right now, as always, Noct was the priority. "These wounds are too open," he said, uncommon hesitation in his voice. "I'll need to sew them closed." 

Prompto looked at him with wide eyes, already pale skin going even paler, his freckles standing out across his face in stark contrast. "Sew?" he asked, his tone high-pitched and catching on the single word. "Like, with needles?" 

Ignis nodded. "Yes. Such as the needles and thread we normally use to mend our clothes." 

"Oh... okay. So then, what are you waiting for...?" 

Ignis paused, looking across to Gladio. Gladio met his eyes steadily, having already figured out what Ignis needed from them. "I won't let up, no matter what," he said. 

"Let up?" Prompto asked, eyes darting back and forth between them in confusion. 

Gladio grunted. "I'm gonna hold him down, in case he comes to," he explained, already reaching to pin Noctis in place. "You're gonna hold the wounds together for Iggy." 

"M-me? No way! I... I can't do that, I'll... I'll mess it up! Or get sick..." he trailed off, swallowing heavily. 

"Prompto," Ignis said patiently, though he felt anything but. "You won't mess it up. And if you feel like you're going to get sick, tell me and we'll stop for a moment. But I need you for this. _Noct_ needs you," he added, knowing how much Prompto and Noct cared for each other. 

Prompto took a deep breath, clearly steeling himself, and then nodded, coming around to Ignis' side and sinking down on shaky knees beside him. "What exactly do you need me to do?" he asked. Ignis pointed out the places where he needed Prompto to put his hands, showing him how to push the skin together tight. Prompto did as instructed, and though his hands were trembling some, it wasn't enough to matter. 

Ignis grabbed the needle and thread he'd taken out earlier, sliding the black thread through the eye with a practiced hand, then took his own deep breath before lowering the needle. He worked quickly and methodically, years of staying up late to sew the numerous minor rips and tears and lost buttons in the careless prince's clothes serving him well now. He didn't think about the fact that it was Noct's skin that he was sewing up, or that Noct still might not make it, even after all of this. 

Halfway through, Noct came around, groaning deeply as he tried to lift his head. "Wha... wha's g'in on?" 

"...Shit," Gladio cursed softly, but Ignis didn't look up or stop from his work. "Everything's fine, Princess. Go back to sleep." 

"No'... 'rin...ss," Noct slurred, and then winced as he felt the tug of the needle through his skin. His head jerked up as he tried to wrench his body forward, away from the sudden fire rippling all along his back, but Gladio's strong arms effortlessly held him in place. 

"Easy there, bud. You're fine." 

"No... no!" He jerked again in sudden panic, feeling desperate to get away from whatever was happening. His back was in agony, sharp pinpricks lancing through it over and over, and he couldn't bear it. "Stop... hurts!" His words were becoming clearer as clarity returned to him, and he struggled against all the hands he could feel holding him down, not realising yet who those hands belonged to. He raised his head up more, trying to twist it around, trying to see what was happening, what was causing that white-hot pain searing his back. Large hands prevented him from turning, however, and it wasn't long before he began to cry, both from fear and pain, sobs tearing out of him in heaving gulps as he continued to fight. 

"Isn't there something we can give him to knock him out again?" Prompto asked desperately, looking imploringly at Gladio. 

The big man grunted, looking back at him. "Like what? We usually want to recover from unconsciousness, not induce it." 

"We do need to get him calm," Ignis said. "I can't work when he's struggling so." 

"I could give him a hard knock to the head," Gladio offered, grinning across to him. 

Ignis shook his head, his expression solemn. "Noct's head is too hard for that. He'd never feel it." 

"Really?" Prompto burst out, looking between them. This hardly seemed like the time to joke. "I can't believe you guys..." He shook his own head, and then ignored them both, focusing all of his attention on his best friend. "Noct... hey, listen. Noct. It's me, it's Prompto, your best bud. I know it hurts a lot right now, but you gotta calm down, okay? Noct, you listening, buddy? Come on, calm down... I promise you're okay..." He kept talking, keeping his voice reassuring and soothing, not knowing if he was getting through, but not able to just sit there and listen to Noct's distress, the sound of Noct's sobs tearing painfully at his heart. He knew if Noct was more cognisant of what was going on, he'd be terribly embarrassed. The other two remained quiet, content to leave Prompto to his attempt. 

Gradually though, Noct's sobs did lessen, and his struggles slowly ceased as Prompto's words got through to him, until at last he was croaking, "Prompto?" in a hoarse voice. 

"Yeah, it's me," Prompto reassured him. "Gladio and Ignis are here too. You're safe right now, Noct." 

"Back... hurts." 

Prompto sniffled once, very softly, and hoped the others never mentioned the tears he could feel trickling down his cheeks. He never wanted to see his best friend in such a state again. "I know... You were badly injured by some sahagins earlier. Do you remember that?" 

Noctis was quiet for a moment, trying to think through the haze of pain. He did kind of vaguely remember a fight... and his leg had been caught by one of them? But the others hadn't been able to get to him. And that didn't explain the pain in his back. "Sorta," he said. 

"One of them clawed you in the back a few times. It's... not pretty." His voice faltered, remembering the way it had first looked. He knew he'd never quite forget the sight. "What you're feeling right now is Ignis sewing up the wounds." 

Noctis digested that, shuddering as he realised what the earlier sensation he'd been feeling was. "Gladio?" he asked. 

"I'm here. Holding you down so you don't flail around too much." 

"Specs... sewing neatly?" 

Ignis laughed softly, though his emotions felt far too out of control at the situation for him to feel any true humour. "Certainly, Your Highness." 

Noct grimaced at the title, but nodded his head tiredly, accepting the situation. "Okay then. Prompto?" He wiggled his left hand. 

Prompto hesitated, knowing what he wanted but not sure how he could do what Ignis and Noct wanted at the same time. 

"It's okay, I got it, Prompto," Gladio said, letting go of Noctis to take Prompto's spot on Noct's back, reaching to hold the wounds together. "I don't think he'll fight much right now." 

Prompto smiled at him gratefully, and then reached out to grasp Noct's left hand, twining their fingers together loosely. "I'm here for you, Noct," he said softly. 

"Is everyone ready?" Ignis asked, and they all nodded, even Noct, though he also took a deep breath. 

He flinched at the first touch of the needle to his skin, and the tug as Ignis pulled the needle through had him whimpering and tightening his hand on Prompto's in a bone-crushing grip, though he kept himself still as much as he could manage. It was hard though, the pain in his back was nearly unbearable, and he felt nauseous, stomach rolling with every new prick of the needle. 

Prompto watched him, heart aching as he saw how hard Noct was trying to remain stoic, but knowing from the way his fingers were turning white that Noct was in a considerable amount of pain. He wished Noct didn't have to go through this. He reached out with his right hand and began to pet Noctis' hair, hoping it would help relax him somewhat. Somewhere near the end of the second wound, Prompto realised Noct's hand had gone slack in his, and his whimpers had stopped. He'd passed out again. 

After that, Ignis made short work of the rest of his back, and soon Prompto and Gladio were holding him up while Ignis loosely wrapped a gauze bandage around him. Gladio picked him up again while Prompto cleared away the tarp and towel, and Ignis took care of their supplies. They laid out his bedroll, finally laying theirs out as well, and then Gladio carefully settled him back onto his stomach, into the bedroll. They didn't bother with getting him a new shirt, knowing it would be too much hassle and would only catch on the bandages anyway. 

Prompto volunteered to stay with him, and Ignis and Gladio both made their way outside. The storm had finally stopped, and though daylight was fast fading now, Gladio wanted to gather what little dry wood he could find and get a fire going. Ignis chose to get the rest of their camp set up, placing out their chairs and setting up the rest of the cooking equipment as well as their box of non-perishable food. He then shook out the second tarp and used it to make them a little shelter of sorts, tying it to the first one and then wrapping it around three ends of the poles, making a tarp box that was open at one end. It wasn't perfect, but it'd keep some of the rain and wind off of them—they'd be here a few days, and today's storm probably wouldn't be the only one. 

Once done, he sank wearily down into one of the chairs to wait for Gladio, the day's events at last catching up to him. He couldn't help but replay their fight with the sahagins in his head, specifically that terrifyingly wrenching moment when Noct's scream had reverberated all around them. He'd yanked his head up so fast his neck had popped, and when he'd caught sight of Noct leaning up against a sahagin, his leg still caught in its sharp bite, another behind him clawing viciously at his back, Ignis could have sworn his heart had stopped, just for a second. 

He barely even remembered taking out the one he'd been fighting against—he could only recall running to Noct, knowing he wouldn't make it fast enough but praying to the Six that Noct would still somehow be okay. And then Prompto's shot had rang out, and it had been the sweetest sound Ignis had ever heard. He'd found himself thanking the Gods as he dropped down to the ground beside Noct, reaching for him, hoping one of the others still had a potion on them, knowing he'd used his last one earlier. 

For just that one brief moment, he'd thought things would be okay. But then Prompto had shoved the potion at him, and Noct couldn't even break it, and when Gladio finally had, Noct had passed out instead of bouncing to his feet with the smug smirk that Ignis both loved and hated. 

He buried his face in his hands, knowing all over again just how close they had come to losing Noct. It was a horrible and terrible thought, to think of Noct dead. To never see him smile again as he taste-tested Ignis' latest attempt at the Tenebrae dessert, or to hear his laugh as he teased Ignis about his stuffy ways, or to watch him quietly enthuse over a big fish he'd caught, looking to Ignis for praise as if he was still a small child... He was ashamed to realise he was close to tears, suddenly, and his body shook as he contemplated a world without Noctis. A world without Noctis seemed like a dark and bleak world, one where the sun never rose and nothing was right and hopes and dreams had long since shattered. 

He couldn't hold it back any longer. Mindful of Prompto a few feet away in the tent, he managed to keep quiet, but he let the tears flow down freely, quickly dampening the hands he still had his head buried in. A few moments later, there was a clattering of wood against the rock, and then Gladio's warm hand was on his shoulder, briefly tightening. "He's gonna be okay, Iggy," Gladio said softly, his voice a soothing rumble. Ignis shuddered. 

Gladio left his hand there a moment longer, offering silent comfort, and then he stepped away, presumably to get the fire going. Ignis took the time to get himself back under control, and when at last he heard the familiar crackle of wood burning, he raised his head, discreetly scrubbing at his cheeks before looking to Gladio. 

"We could have lost him." 

"But we didn't." 

"We might still." 

"We won't," Gladio said firmly, and there was such confidence in his voice that Ignis felt comforted, even though he didn't quite believe him. 

"How can you be sure?" he asked, and the needy, pleading undertone in his voice was so unlike him that Gladio looked up from his tending of the fire, studying him intently for a moment. 

"'Cause I have faith in him," Gladio said at last, though he didn't tear his gaze away from Ignis. 

"What if that's not enough? What if he dies, what if I lose him? I _can't_ lose him, I can't be without him!" He was distressed, not thinking clearly, and couldn't seem to keep himself calm. He hadn't meant to word things that way, but it was out now. 

"Ignis..." Gladio said slowly, his voice hushed as he glanced towards the tent. "He's going to have to take a queen someday, whether it's the Lady Lunafreya or not." 

The words had a sobering effect, and Ignis was silent for a bit, for once wishing Gladio wasn't a lot smarter than he looked. "I know that," he said at last, his voice low. "I have no intentions other than to remain by his side in whatever capacity he wishes for me to." Which was absolutely true, though if that capacity ever happened to be as 'lover' someday, Ignis certainly wouldn't object. 

"Okay then," Gladio said, though he still seemed unsure. "And Iggy..." He waited until Ignis met his eyes, before continuing on. "I promise you, he won't die. I'm not gonna let him." 

To that, Ignis nodded once, a brief jerk of his head, and then he finally got up to see what he could rustle up for dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it. Let me know what you thought, if you wish!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys, I suck. I added another scene to this. It was a scene I originally wanted to add anyways, only I couldn't figure out how to work it in, but then I did, so now it's there and you all get to enjoy it, hooray. Hurr angst. But that doesn't suck, right? Okay, but after I added another scene, I expanded on a second scene (now in part three), and then I added in another scene (also in part three), and before I knew it, it was longer than the first part and I can't stop writing oh god I need help. But at least now you get three parts instead of two! Oh, and I neglected chaucer and intro to film homework for this, oops. At any rate, enjoy?

The next few days were rough on all of them, as Ignis had predicted. Ignis checked on Noct's back several times throughout each day, diligently changing the bandages every morning, but though they miraculously didn't show any signs of infection, Noctis wasn't waking. They were all worried, and Prompto had mentioned making the long drive back to Lestallum for a hospital, which they would have to consider in another day or two if Noct didn't wake up. It left all of them in a constant state of tension, though somehow they managed to avoid taking it out on each other. Mostly.

"Morning!" Prompto chirped on the dawn of the third day, dropping down into one of the chairs, a cheerful smile on his face. "And how's everybody else doing on this beautiful day?" 

Gladio grunted, squinting tired eyes at him in what was probably meant to be a glare. None of them had been sleeping well, unsurprisingly. "Aren't you just a ray of sunshine." 

"And you're a grumpy pants!" Prompto shot back, though the smile didn't leave him. "Sounds like somebody needs to get some more sleep." 

"Maybe if somebody's skinny little elbow hadn't been digging into my back all night, I would have," Gladio snarked. 

"Well maybe if somebody's giant muscles didn't take up half the tent, there would have been room for my elbow!" 

"Children, please," Ignis said tiredly, sipping at his coffee and wishing it was a can of Ebony. He preferred to save those for when they were on the road, though, and he was out, besides. "Let's not fight today." 

"Sorry, mom." "Yes, mother." The two of them spoke at the same time, and then glared at each other. Ignis sighed, rolling his eyes. He turned away from them to consider their stock of food, wondering what they could have for breakfast that wasn't toast. Again. There wasn't much—they'd already been low on food before, and after two days of camping they were getting down to the bare bones. After another day or two, they'd be out. 

And Noct still wasn't waking. 

Ignis sighed again, giving breakfast up as a bad job, and pulled his map out of his back pocket. They appeared to be a good ways out in the wilderness—the closest town that he could see was Old Lestallum, and that was a couple hours drive. Still, if he sent Gladio and Prompto, they'd be back well before dark, and the chance to get some provisions would be worth it. Though it meant he'd have to trust Prompto to drive again. At least he wouldn't have to endure it. "Can you two stop your squabbling long enough to make a trip to town?" he asked, folding the map back up. 

"Sure, Iggy. What'd you need?" Gladio asked easily. 

"I'll make a list." He fetched a scrap of paper and a pen from the tent, and then quickly scribbled down what he needed, handing it over to Gladio. "It's a small town—Old Lestallum—so I don't expect everything, but just get what you can. Any sort of curatives they might have would also be helpful, and anything else either of you think of that we might need." 

"No problem. Come on, Prompto, let's get ready to roll out." 

Prompto nodded, standing up from the chair, but then hesitated, looking at Ignis. "If he wakes—" 

"I'll text you, yes." 

Prompto smiled at him gratefully, and then followed after Gladio. 

It wasn't long before it was just him and Noctis, alone in the camp. He'd been picturing such a moment for months, but the reality of it was nothing he'd ever imagined. Shaking his head at himself, he headed into the tent. Noctis was still out of it, not that he'd expected any different. Ignis put a hand to his forehead, checking for any sign of a fever, thankfully feeling none. They'd already changed the bandages this morning, just before Gladio and Prompto had set out, and the wounds hadn't looked red or inflamed, but there was no such thing as 'too cautious' in Ignis' book. 

Carefully, he settled himself down on his bedroll next to Noct's, feeling exhausted. The three of them had been cramping themselves up against each other every night, all of them afraid to get too close to Noctis and roll over on him, or fling an arm across his back in their sleep. And he knew he wasn't the only one jerking awake every hour, listening closely for the steady breathing that would indicate Noct was still alive. But now with just him and Noct, there was room in the tent. Perhaps he could get in a few hours rest before the other two got back. Worn out, he closed his eyes. 

* * *

He woke slowly, floating up from a muted, groggy haze back into the land of the living. His eyes felt glued shut, but after some effort he managed to pry them open, only to wince and quickly close them again when bright light assaulted them. Okay, that had been a bad idea. Maybe he'd try again in a few minutes. 

Everything hurt. His whole body ached, and his head was throbbing something fierce, but it was his back that was the worst. It felt like there was a scorching inferno raging all across it, with hot little sparks of ember that fizzed and popped every so often. What the hell had happened to him? Nothing immediate came to mind as an explanation, and the pain made it impossible to think back on it. 

Eventually, he cracked his eyes open, once more flinching at the light but refusing to give in to it. After a bit, his eyes adjusted, and he did his best to look around and take stock of his situation. Walls of canvas were the first thing he saw, and it didn't take him long to work out that he was in their tent, lying on his stomach in his bedroll. Soft breathing soon alerted him that he wasn't alone, and he turned his head to find Ignis next to him, lips parted slightly, his face relaxed in sleep. It was a lovely sight, one that Noct would usually take the time to admire and store in his head for later fantasies, but right now he was just confused. 

"Iggy?" he mumbled. Ignis never slept when there was daylight out. And they also seemed to be the only two in the tent, which was even more confusing, because due to the aforementioned sleeping habit, Ignis was always the first one up and out. Maybe if he could remember what had happened, it would make more sense, but right now the pain was clouding his head, leaving it hard to think clearly. Perhaps he just needed to go back to sleep a little while longer... 

An urgent twinge in his bladder told him that sleep was out of the question. He needed to get up and go, soon, or there'd be a wet mess in his bedroll to clean up. Sighing, knowing it was going to hurt, he placed his hands flat on the ground in front of him and started to push himself up. His back started to curve with the movement, and every nerve in his body lit on fire at once, immense pain roaring through him. He dropped back down, unable to help the cry that tore from his throat. 

Beside him, Ignis stirred, sitting up in confusion. "Noct?" he asked, uncertain if he'd really heard something, or if it had just been a dream. 

Noct whimpered, a few tears dripping down his cheeks. 

"Noct!" 

"Hurts, Iggy..." Noct croaked out, his voice hoarse. He hadn't realised until now just how dry his throat was, and the words hurt. 

"Hang on." Ignis fumbled around until his hands found the bottle of water he'd brought in with him last night. Very carefully, he helped Noct to sit up, though Noct had to hunch forward over his lap, lacking the strength to hold himself up. He could feel a strange tugging in his back at the position, causing him more pain, but he ignored it. 

"Here." Ignis uncapped the water and held it to his lips. Noct hesitated, and then tipped his head back to drink. Ignis also took the opportunity to shove a couple of painkillers at him, though at most they'd probably only dull the edges. 

"Gotta go, Iggy," he mumbled once he was through, shoving the bottle away from him. 

"Go? Go where?" Ignis asked him in confusion. Noctis was hardly in a state to be going anywhere. 

"Y'know..." he gestured vaguely to his crotch, and Ignis got it. Well of course, he had been asleep for three days. It was going to be an incredibly painful experience, though. He almost wanted to just suggest an empty bottle, but he knew Noct's pride would never allow it. 

"Very well," Ignis said, "but it will hurt." If only Gladio was here to carry him. It figured Noct would finally wake up once the others were gone. 

Between the two of them, they somehow managed to get Noct to his feet, though he was deathly pale and sweating by the time he was standing, swaying slightly. Ignis wrapped an arm low around his waist, below the wounds, and got Noct to lean against him as they began their slow shuffle out of the tent. Ignis was surprised to see how high the sun was in the sky already, not realising it had gotten so late. It had to be at least noon. He'd apparently slept longer than he thought. Hopefully the other two would be back soon. 

They had to stop a couple of times, to let Noct catch his breath, but they finally reached the edge of the haven, and Ignis turned his head away to give Noct some privacy. 

"Thanks," Noct muttered to him once they were back in the tent. He'd refused to lie completely down again, insisting instead on partially sitting and leaning heavily against Ignis' side, legs semi-tucked underneath his body, his head nestled onto Ignis' left arm. It gave him that strange pulling in his back again, but he figured he would be in pain one way or another, and this was more comfortable than being on his stomach. 

Ignis put up token protests about Noct needing to rest, but in truth he really didn't mind. He was just glad that Noct was awake, was alive. 

"So... what happened?" Noct asked after some time, uncomfortable with the silence that had fallen in the tent. "And where are the others?" 

"They went to Old Lestallum this morning, to get provisions." Which reminded him. Careful not to jostle Noct, he pulled his phone from his pocket, bringing up Prompto's name and sending him a quick text. _Noct awake. In pain but okay._

Noct watched him curiously. "How long was I out?" 

"It's been three days." Three tense, terrifying days in which none of them had truly been sure he'd ever wake up again, despite Gladio's confident demeanour. 

"Oh." Noct shifted uncomfortably, wincing at the pain that resulted. "What happened?" he repeated. 

"You don't remember?" 

Noctis shrugged out of habit, immediately regretting the movement as it pulled on his back. "Pain makes it hard to think right now," he admitted. 

A chime from Ignis' phone interrupted them, and he looked down to read the message from Prompto. 

_Thx 2 the Six! (ノ^o^)ノ Knew he would 2day. Got most of ur stuff but no good pots. Stopped 2 chk map. Gladio says bbs 20-30 min. Tell noct I got him a treat (ʘ‿ʘ✿)_

"Prompto says he got you a treat," Ignis relayed dutifully. 

"Well, that's nice of him," Noct said bemusedly, raising his eyebrows. "What'd I do to deserve that? Usually when I get hurt he just makes fun of me." 

"You almost died," Ignis blurted out, and then took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Just saying the words out loud, to Noct, brought all the fear and panic and pain rushing back, the remembered terror of thinking he might lose the most important person in the world to him and have to go through life alone, bleak and joyless. 

Against him, Noct jerked, and then hissed out a breath. "What?" 

Ignis sighed. "It's probably better if I start from the beginning. What's the last thing you remember?" he asked, looking down at him. 

Noct scrunched up his face, thinking hard. "Um... we were gathering some wild onions... I went down to the river to see if there were any clams or small crabs we could get. I think there were... sahagins?" Even though he couldn't remember too well right then, saying the word sent a bolt of anxiety through him, along with causing Ignis to tense up, so he knew he was right. "I'm guessing they attacked us?" 

Ignis gave a nearly imperceptible shudder. "Yes. There were probably about ten of them. They quickly overwhelmed us. We got scattered almost immediately." 

Noct found himself remembering somewhat as Ignis spoke. "Yeah. One got my leg, didn't it? I remember being on my back and kicking at it. Is that what happened? The ground tore my back up some?" 

"Not... exactly. I was unable to see much of what happened, but... at one point you screamed, and when we looked over..." he trailed off, the sight from that day still etched into his brain. In that split second when his heart had stopped, he'd been sure, _sure_ that Noct was going to get killed, right in front of his eyes, while he could only stand by helplessly. 

"Ignis?" 

"Sorry." Ignis felt his voice crack, and cleared his throat, not wanting to break down again, not now, not in front of Noct, not when he was finally awake. "The sahagin that had bit you still had a hold of your leg, and you were sitting up with your hands on its snout, I would guess trying to pry it off, but there was another one behind you, clawing at your back over and over..." 

Noct shuddered, even as he reached out with his left hand to grab hold of Ignis' right one. Ignis allowed the contact, fingers tightening slightly. Noct could hear the pain and horror of remembrance in his voice, and was glad he couldn't remember it himself. "How did you guys save me?" he asked, almost in a whisper. 

"Prompto managed to shoot the one that was attacking your back, and I was able to reach you and kill the one that had a hold of you. We gave you a hi-potion, and you passed out shortly after, so Prompto drove us as fast as he dared to this haven." 

"You let Prompto drive the Regalia? Was he as scary as I remember him being in high school?" 

"I can't exactly recall," Ignis confessed. "I was too worried for you." 

Noct blushed at that, not used to Ignis being so candid with his emotions, and wishing he could mean it the way Noct had wanted him to for awhile now. "So I guess I've been out of it since then, huh," he said, not sure how to address Ignis' admitted worry for him. Changing the subject, even just a bit, was easier. 

Ignis hesitated, not sure if he should mention Noct's waking during the stitching process or not. He didn't want Noct to feel embarrassed, but if he remembered it later, he'd likely be embarrassed anyway, _and_ mad that Ignis didn't tell him. 

"Or not," Noct amended, staring up at him. "Was it bad?" 

Ignis sighed. "The wounds in your back were very bad. The hi-potion did nothing for them other than to stop the bleeding, and, if you might recall, we've been out of elixirs of any kind. I had to stitch them up myself while Prompto held them together and Gladio held you down. You woke during the process and panicked at being held down and in pain." 

Noct frowned, not able to recall that at all and not liking it. Nor the thought of having stitches in his back, but he could think about that later. "What did I do?" 

"You struggled against Gladio, and when you found yourself unable to get free, you began to cry," Ignis told him reluctantly. "Prompto talked you into calming down, and then we were able to continue." 

"Oh," he said dumbly, feeling embarrassment heat up and spread across his face. He cast his eyes back down, away from Ignis' gaze. He hated for anyone to see him cry, and to know that all three of them had... it made him feel weak and ashamed. 

"No one thinks any less of you for it, Noct," Ignis said quietly. 

"Right." It was nice of Ignis to try and make him feel better, but he didn't believe him at all. 

"Noct. Look at me," Ignis commanded gently, and after a long minute of hesitation, Noct did, darting his eyes back up to meet Ignis'. Noct loved his eyes. They were a brilliant shade of green, warm and friendly, and lit up his whole face with happiness on the rare occasions that he smiled. Right now, though, they were dull and faded, filled with three days worth of exhaustion and worry and fear. 

"We thought you might die." His voice was soft and shaky, and his hand tightened unconsciously in Noct's as he took a few deep breaths. It was clear he was struggling to keep himself in control, and the sight surprised Noct. Ignis was always so stoic and unflappable, rarely letting his emotions show. "For three days, you wouldn't wake up, and every few hours I had to come in and check that you didn't have a fever, that your wounds weren't getting infected, that you were still _breathing_." He paused, briefly, and when he spoke again it was almost as if he was saying the words to himself, instead of Noct. "I was terrified that you'd leave me all alone, and I couldn't bear the thought of losing you." 

They fell quiet then, the hushed words shocking Noctis as he stared uncertainly up at his friend, trying to decipher just how Ignis meant them. Then a few tears began rolling down Ignis' cheeks, the battle he'd been waging since Noct first woke finally lost, and Noct's eyes widened in surprise. He let go of Ignis' hand, and pulled himself upright into a proper sitting position, ignoring the fresh pain that blossomed across his back. 

Ignis had turned away from him, his eyes closed in shame as he cried, but Noct reached out, gently grasping his chin and turning his head back towards him as he leaned forward. His vision was blurring a little with the pain now, but he didn't care. He needed to comfort Ignis, needed to reassure him that he was alive and would never leave him alone, not as long as he could help it. He _needed_ Ignis to know how he felt. 

The gentle press of lips against his had Ignis' eyes flying open in wide surprise to meet Noct's warm blue ones, reassurance and caring shining from them. He wasn't sure what was going on, could hardly believe that Noct was _kissing him_ , it shouldn't be happening, Noct was supposed to marry Lunafreya, and he was abusing the trust King Regis had placed in him all those years ago... Noct tugged on his lower lip gently, tongue pressing against his lips, seeking an invitation, and Ignis groaned, abandoning caution and kissing him back, letting Noct in. 

He didn't know what this was, or what it would be, but he found himself not caring, the tumultuous emotions that had been rolling around in him for the past three days finally settling down for the first time as he and Noct kissed. Later, they could figure it out, but for now, he just wanted to enjoy the moment. Noct finally pulled back from him, a bit breathless, eyes unfocused, his pupils blown wide. 

"I won't ever leave you alone, Ignis," Noct whispered, and Ignis could only nod. 

The quiet rumble of an engine outside just then announced the Regalia's return, and Ignis silently cursed Gladio and Prompto's timing in his head, temporarily wishing doom upon them. 

"I think... I think I need to lie down again," Noct said faintly, interrupting his dark thoughts towards their friends. Ignis turned his attention to him, and noted how white Noct was. He was breathing hard, face screwed up into an expression of pain, and he was holding himself stiffly, clearly trying not to move. 

"You overdid it," Ignis chided him, sighing softly. 

"Like you're really complaining," Noct grumbled. "Just help me lie down." 

Ignis did, getting him settled just as Prompto burst into the tent, nearly tripping over the entrance in his excitement. 

"Nooo~oooct!" he called in a sing-song. "You're awake! I got something for you!" 

Noct groaned. "Not so loud," he begged. "My head is killing me." 

"Oh, sorry," Prompto said, lowering his voice. He dropped down next to Noct, a big plastic bag held in his hands. "Well, I know you probably can't really sit up right now, so I'll just tell you all the things I got you!" He pulled the bag apart and reached in, coming back out with a box of Noct's favourite candies grasped in one hand. 

Ignis looked at it, shaking his head before stepping out of the tent to leave them to it. He found Gladio outside, unloading the Regalia, which Prompto had pulled off the road and onto the dirt path next to the haven. 

"Let me help you," he said quietly, joining Gladio in pulling bags out of the trunk and over to their makeshift tarp shelter. Gladio nodded at him, and they worked quickly. 

"How's the princess?" Gladio asked as they began to sort through the bags, pulling perishable foods out to set in the cooler shortly, and putting the rest in the box with the other non-perishables. He looked up at Ignis briefly. 

Ignis couldn't help the blush that spread across his face, catching the unintended double meaning in Gladio's words, but his voice was steady when he answered, "Well enough. In pain, of course, and he can't remember the fight very well, or waking up while I stitched him together, but he's otherwise lucid and alive." _And promised not to leave me alone_ , his mind added, blushing once more. He felt very unlike himself, but he couldn't seem to help it. 

Gladio grunted, smashing a bag of ice against the ground to break it up. He carried it over to the cooler, ripping the bag open and pouring the ice inside. "Alright, spill it." 

Ignis glanced to the ice in confusion. "Sorry?" 

Gladio rolled his eyes. "Something clearly happened between you and Noct while we were gone," he said, keeping his voice low, although Prompto's loud non-stop chatter drifting out from the tent guaranteed they wouldn't be heard. "You're blushing like a virginal school girl." 

"Thank you for that charming image," he said dryly, though he supposed the other man wasn't too far off the mark. He'd had a few relationships before, and wasn't a virgin by any means, but he was certainly starting to feel like an infatuated teenager with his behaviour. He sighed, once again wishing Gladio wasn't so perceptive. He began to carry the perishables over to the cooler, placing them in and nestling them firmly in the ice. "He kissed me," he admitted softly. 

Gladio raised his eyebrows. "Huh. Didn't think he actually swung that way." 

"Really? You never once wondered about him and Prompto?" 

"Maybe once or twice, but never seriously. Prompto's too much of a skirt-chaser." He shrugged it aside. "So, what, you guys an item now?" 

"We've... not yet had a chance to talk." 

Gladio nodded, putting the lid tightly back onto the cooler, looking over to Ignis, meeting his eyes. "Don't break his heart." 

Ignis nodded, bowing his head slightly. "I shall endeavour not to," he murmured. If anything, it was he who should be worried about Noctis breaking his. 

* * *

The first time Ignis checked on the wounds while Noctis was awake, later that afternoon, Noct did his best to twist his head around and look, even though it was clearly causing him pain to do so. 

"Hold still," Ignis murmured as he unwrapped the last of the gauze and let it drop to the bedroll. 

Noctis did, though Ignis could tell without looking that he was sulking about it, a likely pout on his face. "I wanna see," he grumbled. 

"Hey, I've been harvesting your zell tree for you, while you were out!" Prompto said, waving his own cell phone around as he sat up from where he'd been lying, playing on it. It was a clear attempt at distraction, but it was enough for Ignis to conduct his usual inspection. 

"Yeah?" Noct said, perking up slightly. "That's great. I bet I have a lot." 

Prompto nodded, grinning at him. "You bet, dude." 

Ignis tuned out their chatter, frowning at the wound that was in the middle of Noct's back. It was looking slightly red and inflamed around the stitches. When he'd checked this morning, all three of them had looked fine. Was it the start of an infection, or just irritation from Noct constantly aggravating it with his inability to stay still? 

"Noct," he said, getting the prince's attention as he interrupted Noct and Prompto's discussion on the best way to do a speedrun. "I shall have to touch your back. It may hurt." 

Noct nodded, left hand unconsciously groping out for Prompto's, who took it without a word. "Okay," he said after a deep breath. "Go ahead." 

Gently, Ignis put his fingers to Noct's back, near the inflammation, ignoring the resulting flinch. He'd expected to feel heat radiating out, a sure sign of infection, but Noct's back was merely warm, within the range of normal human temperature. He trailed a finger lightly along the stitches, checking for possible pus or blood his eyes had missed, but it came back dry. Not infected then, at least not yet. He'd check it more frequently though, just to be sure, and perhaps leave the bandages off for a few hours. If Noct developed an infection, they'd have to get to a hospital immediately, no matter how far away it was. 

"Is it okay?" Noct asked once he no longer felt Ignis' fingers. He twisted his head around again, trying to get another glimpse. 

"One of the wounds is irritated, but that could be from all your moving around. It doesn't appear to be infected. Sit still!" Ignis snapped at him, unable to take the sight of Noct contorting his body this way and that, grimacing in pain all the while. 

"I want to see it!" Noct insisted, his voice rising slightly. 

"You won't be able to, so you might as well settle down." 

"Um, I can take a picture?" Prompto offered, scratching nervously at the wrist band he always wore when they both looked at him. A blush spread across his face. "That way he could see, and wouldn't hurt himself..." 

"Yeah. Yeah, take a pic, Prompto." 

"Sure! Lemme get my camera." Prompto flashed a grin at him, before running out to grab it from the Regalia, where he'd left it in his haste to see Noct awake earlier. 

"Why do you need to see?" Ignis asked him once they were alone. "It's hardly a pleasant sight right now." 

And really, it wasn't. Ignis had stitched as neatly as he could, but the thick black thread was still ugly and dark against Noct's skin, and the point where Noct had woken during the process was obvious, the stitches a little more wide and haphazard there. Not to mention all the smaller scratches and patches of shredded skin that didn't break past the top layers, as well as the abrasions from the rocks and gravel—those Ignis couldn't do much for other than clean and let them heal on their own. And of course Noct's old scars were still there, at least the parts that hadn't been torn back open by the sahagin's claws. His back wasn't as bad as when they'd first carried him in, when the wounds had gaped so deep Ignis could see layers of fat and muscle, but Ignis still couldn't fathom why Noct would want to see such a sight. 

"I just do," Noct muttered, as Prompto stepped back in with the camera. 

Ignis sighed, knowing he wouldn't be deterred. "Very well." 

Ignis shifted back to give Prompto room, and a few minutes later Noct was staring down at the camera, his impassive expression giving away nothing. Finally, he handed it back to his best friend, giving him a tight smile. "Thanks, Prompto. Hey, you think you could see if Gladio can get a fire going soon? I want to try and sit outside for a bit." 

"Of course!" Prompto's smile came easy enough, and was genuine in its warmth, but his eyes were troubled. Still, he stepped out of the tent, going to do as requested. 

"I suppose I should see about getting dinner started," Ignis said, stepping towards the entrance himself. 

Noct's quiet words stopped him in his tracks. "They're going to scar, aren't they." His voice was flat, knowing the answer but needing to hear it confirmed out loud. 

Ignis turned back around slowly, looking at him. Noctis was curled in upon himself, arms wrapped around his knees protectively, his head resting forlornly on top. He looked more like a small child at the moment than the twenty year old man he was. A small child that had just had his back clawed viciously by a daemon as he watched his attendants get killed in front of him. 

Something unpleasant twisted in Ignis' gut at the realisation, and he swallowed down the bit of bile rising in his throat. He stepped towards Noct, sitting back down next to him, close, but not quite touching. "Yes," he said, equally as quiet as Noct had been. "They're going to scar. Probably not very well. I'm sorry." 

"I..." Noct stopped, letting out a shuddering sigh. He hadn't been lying, earlier, when he'd told Ignis he couldn't remember waking before, but seeing the picture had jogged his brain. "I kind of remember now, waking when you were stitching me." 

Ignis made a wordless noise of encouragement, not sure yet where Noct was going with this statement, or how it related to him scarring, but wanting him to keep talking. It would be good for him, to talk about it. The whole thing had been a highly traumatic incident, and Noctis kept too many things bottled up as it was. Of course, he wasn't any better, but this wasn't about him. 

"When I felt all the pain in my back, and I couldn't move around, for a bit, I thought, maybe... I know I killed her, but it felt like I was eight all over again." 

Ignis' chest tightened at the admission. He could still remember the first days at the Citadel, after the attack, when Noct had first woken from his coma. He'd been silent and withdrawn, having little interest in doing any of the things he'd enjoyed before. Food he used to love suddenly got pushed around on his plate, no more than one or two bites taken by the time it was finally whisked away. At night he'd appear silently by Ignis' bedside, shaking and crying from his nightmares, until at last Ignis had started sneaking into his room instead, crawling into bed with him and holding him until he fell asleep, and soothing him back to sleep every time he woke gasping. Even though Ignis could relate, it had hurt him deeply, to see his friend suffering so much from the daemon's attack. When Noctis had come back from Tenebrae, still not the same but not quite as listless, he'd sworn he'd never let the prince suffer in such a way again. 

"I'm sorry." The words felt inadequate, incapable of conveying the amount of pain and sorrow Ignis felt at having failed Noct, at having caused him to flash back to such a traumatic incident. Logically, his brain knew it wasn't really his fault, but his heart told him otherwise. 

Noct let go of his legs, stretching them out in front of them. He leaned into Ignis, the warmth and press of his shoulder comforting. "I know what you're thinking, Specs," Noct murmured, "but it isn't your fault." He sighed. "It's no one's fault, except the sahagin that attacked me. You were just saving my life. I'm grateful for that." 

Ignis merely nodded, not trusting himself to speak around the sudden lump in his throat. 

"And besides," Noct continued, his voice suddenly deceptively light, "it's not as if I'm not used to having scars back there. It'll be fine. Really." 

Ignis wasn't sure which one of them the words were meant to convince more. He said nothing, and his heart ached.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the kudos and bookmarks and comments! I haven't been in a fandom this active since about 2000/2001 (cough age showing cough), and it really took me by surprise, but makes me feel so happy! Your support means a lot to me, and I hope I'll keep writing awesome fics in the future for everyone to enjoy :D In the meantime, part three should be out in a couple days, ~~and then I may or may not have a coda after that~~ and after that who knows because I seriously can't. stop. _writing_. Send help.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I don't play poker, why do you ask? Also, I've read in the FFXV Ultimania that potions are just energy drinks and Noct's magic gives them their restorative properties, but... I feel like that idea has soooo many holes in it. So I've disregarded it for my not much better idea :D
> 
> Also, spoilers in the end notes. At the very end.

It was another four days before they finally left camp. Noct was hardly in any sort of great shape, but he'd insisted on them packing up and going to Old Lestallum, declaring that having soft beds to sleep on would be worth the pain he'd endure to get there. At that point, they'd put up with his constant whining about being stuck on his stomach, about being stuck in the tent, about having to be carried by Gladio when he needed to pee, about being bored... Ignis was sure they were all ready to smother Noct with a pillow, just to get him to stop complaining. And he'd thought Prompto had been bad before.

The one thing Noctis _didn't_ complain about was the pain, though it was obvious he was still in a great deal of it, and the painkillers they had barely blunted the edges. Luckily, none of his wounds had become infected, and the one Ignis had been worried about was fine the next morning, leaving him to conclude Noct had simply irritated it with his movements. After that, he'd forced Noct to stay stretched out on his stomach as much as possible—hence all the whining. 

Nothing more had happened between them since that one kiss, not that Ignis had really expected it to. Regardless of what Noct might have meant it to be—and Ignis really had no clue, whether Noctis had felt sorry for him, or had been trying to reassure him, or possibly genuinely liked him in that way—he wasn't in a state to be making out with his advisor, and they'd hardly had a moment alone, anyway. 

Gladio had given him curious glances a few times, his eyes asking the question his mouth couldn't, but Ignis always had to slightly shake his head, a hint of a shrug in his shoulders, as if to say, _There hasn't been time, what can I do?_ Then Gladio would frown, but tip his head, conceding the point. The whole exchange was starting to wear thin on Ignis, and he was glad to be leaving camp and finally getting into a town where he could occasionally get some time to himself. 

They left later than any of them would have liked, but they'd set up more at camp than usual, and it took longer to pack back up. Not to mention there was Noct to deal with as well—having to deal with his wounds, and then trying to figure out where to put him while they dismantled the tent (they'd finally settled him in a camping chair, and Noct had winced at the uncomfortable position, but didn't remark on the pain), and at last working out the best way for him to ride in the Regalia (they still had to stretch him out in the back, but they made him a nest of bedrolls, and let Prompto's lap be his pillow, as Gladio's large legs seemed unsuitable). 

Ignis was careful with his driving, avoiding any large bumps or potholes until they got out onto the main road, and then he maintained a steady speed, keeping a sharp eye out for any reasons to stop, gently tapping the brakes well ahead of time so that he wouldn't hurt Noctis with any sudden stops or sharp decelerations. 

Barely forty minutes into the trip, Noct fell asleep, which was just as well. They reached Old Lestallum around 3:30, and Gladio and Prompto stayed with Noct in the car while Ignis checked them into the motel in the center of the small town. Since they would probably be there for awhile, he splurged and got them one of the nicer rooms, with a small kitchenette so they wouldn't have to eat out all the time. Somehow Prompto managed to wake Noct, and Gladio carried him to their room, Noct grumbling all the while. 

"First dibs on the shower!" Prompto shouted as soon as they got in, setting his and Noct's bags down by the door and darting towards the small bathroom. 

Gladio looked like he wanted to disagree, perhaps even race him to the room, but he was still holding onto Noct, and running with their injured prince in his arms probably wasn't the best idea, so he settled for being second. When Ignis came out after his turn, he didn't miss the wistful look Noct cast towards the bathroom. While camping, the others had at least been able to somewhat wash up in the river, but with his injuries Noct had no such luxury. 

He stepped closer to Noct, keeping his voice soft. "Perhaps I could give you some assistance in setting up a bath," he offered, careful to keep his voice steady, though all of his old fantasies of Noct were shouting in remembered glee. 

Noctis looked up at him, face brightening, though a faint blush darkened his cheeks. "Yeah, okay," he said. 

Ignis simply nodded in return, not letting on that his heart was now nearly pounding out of his chest with anticipation, and his pants were perhaps a bit tighter than they had been a moment ago. Once they got Noct into the bathroom, however, the reality of the situation was quickly sobering. He couldn't get undressed and into the tub without help, or at least great pain, but clearly felt awkward about being completely naked in front of Ignis—Ignis had never before seen him without at least some underwear on. 

"I won't look," Ignis promised him as Noct leaned against him in his boxers, hesitant. 

Noct sighed. "It's not as if I have anything you've never seen," he finally said, though he still looked reluctant. 

"It's okay, Noct," Ignis said. "I get it." 

"Just... let's get it over with," he grumbled. 

Eventually they had him into the tub, though not before he was white-faced and trembling, his hand squeezing Ignis' arm tightly where he'd grabbed as he'd started to fall. 

"I have you, you're okay," Ignis had murmured, and after a long moment Noct had nodded, before they continued easing him down into the water. 

He let Noct do as much as he could by himself, helping only when Noct asked him. He knew the situation was already frustrating enough for Noct, testing his dignity and leaving him feeling helpless, and he didn't want to make him feel worse. 

"I wish I had an elixir," Noct panted as he leaned against Ignis, dripping wet, after they'd gotten him out of the tub. He was still nude, but the fact didn't seem to bother him as much now. Ignis liked to think it meant Noct was more comfortable in his presence, but really it was probably just the pain making him not care. 

"Even if we did, it wouldn't do you any good. The properties of the curatives are made—" 

"I know, I know, it won't work on wounds more than a few hours old, I got it Professor Ignis." 

Ignis grabbed the towel he'd set out earlier, and carefully wrapped Noctis in it. "So you do listen to me after all." 

Noct grinned up at him, eyes sparkling despite the pain, and Ignis felt a small flutter in his chest at the sight. "Only sometimes. When it's not totally boring." 

"I'm glad I can provide you educational entertainment," Ignis said in a dry tone. 

He got a soft laugh for that, and then Noct looked at the clean clothes Prompto had picked out for him with dread. "Okay," he sighed. "I'm ready." 

* * *

They spent the rest of the evening just relaxing around the motel. Shortly after his bath, Noctis had fallen asleep, worn out from the day. The rest of them didn't mind, it meant they were spared his complaining, and it gave his back a chance to heal some more. 

The next morning, Gladio got up early and slipped off to the Crow's Nest diner across the street, bringing back breakfast for everyone. 

"Noct. Hey, Noct," Prompto said, poking at his cheek. Noct turned his head away. "Nooooct! Come on, wake up, the big guy brought us breakfast!" 

"Nngh," was the incomprehensible mumble. 

"Just let him sleep. He'll get up when he's hungry enough," Gladio said. 

"But then his food will be cold," Prompto pouted. 

Gladio rolled his eyes. "I'm sure he's used to it by now." 

"Well... I suppose we could eat his breakfast now and buy him more when he wakes, so he can still have hot food." 

Gladio snorted. "Not even royalty deserves that much special treatment," he said. 

"But he's hurt, don't you feel sorry for him?" 

"No." 

"No? Not even a little?" 

"Nope." 

"Come on, just the slightest bit? I mean, look at him," Prompto said, poking at his cheek again. "Doesn't he look all sad and pitiful, stuck on his stomach with all these bandages wrapped around him? He's like a sad little puppy, like that one we found on the side of the road a couple weeks ago. Doesn't he remind you of that?" 

Gladio snorted, looking over at Noct, and then quickly bit into his egg and bacon sandwich and didn't answer. 

"Ha!" Prompto crowed. "You _do_ feel sorry for him!" 

Gladio swallowed his mouthful of food, and then looked back at Noct once more, contemplating. "Iggy can cook him breakfast later," he finally decided. 

"Shouldn't I have a say in that?" Ignis complained as he filled up his mug with the last dregs from the small coffee pot the motel had provided. He took a sip and then made a face. The motel had also provided a 'complimentary bag of grounds.' It was no Ebony, for sure, but even the stuff he made at camp tasted better than this. He didn't know why he had just drank the whole pot. 

"Hmm. Nope." Gladio grinned, and Ignis just gave a put-upon sigh. 

* * *

Noct never woke up in a reasonable time to have breakfast. In fact, he slept through lunch as well, not waking until sometime around two in the afternoon. When he realised the time, he was surprised that nobody had scolded him, or tried to wake him up. 

"Well, I did try to wake you up for breakfast, dude, but you weren't having it." 

"You're still recovering. Your body could use the rest," Ignis said by way of explanation, and Noctis mentally shrugged. If the others were going to let him sleep as late as he wanted for once, who was he to complain? 

He sat up slowly, careful not to twist his back around too much, and was pleased to note the scorching inferno on it had dulled down some, perhaps into a small raging bonfire instead. 

"Need some assistance?" Gladio asked as he laid down four eights and a jack, staring across the small table at Prompto in a clear challenge. 

Even though his instinct was to snap out a quick no, Noctis took a moment to consider it. Did he? He didn't _like_ the help, found it embarrassing that he should be seen as so helpless and weak, but according to Ignis, he'd almost _died_ , so a little help wasn't that remiss. That didn't make it any easier to accept though, and did he really need it for something as simple as going to the bathroom? Getting into the Regalia, or taking a bath, yeah, it made sense, but he was just going to stand up and walk... 

"If you pull any of the stitches or do anything that could risk an infection, you'll be immobile even longer," Ignis said mildly, and Noctis sighed. 

"Fine," he said, and even he winced at how sulky his voice came out. "I just need to get over to the bathroom," he said, trying to sound a little less bratty. 

"Ha! Straight Flush!" Prompto gloated, laying the hand down in a flourish before reaching his arms across the table to drag a handful of coins toward him. "This pot is mine, baby!" 

Noct shook his head at his friends, though he knew if he were feeling better, he'd be right there with them, Prompto kicking both his and Gladio's asses. It was amazing, the way Prompto could not only maintain the perfect poker face, but pick up on the slightest tells from his friends as well. Any other time, he always seemed so transparent with his emotions, and so easily flustered by minor details. Noctis couldn't understand where he'd learned the skill, and why he couldn't apply it to other parts of his life. 

Ignis helped him to the bathroom, the two of them shuffling slowly along as Noctis leaned heavily against his advisor's side. He really couldn't wait to be better enough to walk on his own. Thankfully, Ignis didn't try to come into the bathroom with him, giving him his privacy. Once he was done, he decided he wanted to sit up for awhile, tired of lying down, so Ignis helped him get into a semi-comfortable position on the bed. He turned down the offer of food, not feeling hungry. Pain tended to have that affect on his appetite. 

He watched Gladio and Prompto for a few minutes, and then sighed, already bored. "What is there to do?" he asked. He wasn't used to them having this much downtime, there was always a hunt to be had, or some precious gemstone to be found, or a royal tomb to loot. They were almost always on the go, and when they did stop for the night, they only spent maybe an hour or two at most talking and playing games. The rest of their time was taken up with food, packing, and sleeping. He'd been lying around for days now, and while it sounded great in theory, in reality it _sucked_. 

"You could play with us," Prompto offered, flashing him an almost predatory grin. "I'll go easy on you." 

Noct considered it. He _had_ just been thinking about it, but Prompto's smile was rather scary, and he didn't know if could handle getting chewed up and spit back out today. "I can't sit over there," he finally said, leaving the decision up to his friend. 

"No problem! We'll move to you!" Prompto said brightly, already jumping up eagerly, and Noctis shivered, thinking he'd probably just made a terrible mistake. 

Forty minutes and twenty-four hundred gil later, Noctis bowed out as gracefully as he could manage. "You suck, Prompto," he complained, tossing his cards down and sticking his tongue out at his best friend. Prompto just laughed. 

Turning on the television after getting Ignis to hand him the remote, Noct flipped through the channels idly, not really wanting to watch anything, but liking the noise the tv provided. He settled on something at random, and pretended to watch it. After some time, his eyes slid over to Ignis in what he thought was probably a discreet manner, studying him. 

They hadn't talked about the kiss between them. 

Really, he wasn't sure they were going to. That day had been... emotional. Ignis had cried. He scrunched his nose up slightly. He supposed he didn't mind if Ignis cried, but it was just _weird_. He'd been young when Ignis had first arrived at the palace after losing his parents, and didn't remember too much of it himself, but the attendants had talked for years afterwards about how odd they found it that Ignis never cried or visibly grieved over them, speculating on what horrible reasons might have caused that. Noct didn't think there was any horrible reason other than 'his parents just died,' but he _did_ vaguely remember that it had taken Ignis over a year to start talking to anyone other than himself. And Ignis had never cried when Noct had gotten hurt, or had to leave for Tenebrae, or when he'd helped Noct bury their cat, or any other occasions Noct could think of that might have warranted tears. 

But then, maybe he only ever cried when he was alone. It was clear that Ignis had been ashamed to be crying in front of Noct. He didn't want him to feel that way, though. It was... It made him feel all warm and glowing inside, to think that Ignis had cried for him—to know that Ignis cared that much about him, that the thought of losing Noct would move him to tears. Most of the people in Noct's life had only cared about him because they had to. Because he was Prince Noctis, because he would someday become King Noctis, and keep them all safe. For awhile, when they'd been teenagers, when things had gotten weird between them, he'd wondered if Ignis had been the same. 

He'd long since been convinced otherwise, but to really see for sure, to _know_ , was still comforting. 

"Is there something on my face, Noct?" 

"Huh?" He jerked, startled, and then grit his teeth at the fresh pain, even as his eyes flew back up to meet Ignis'. Ignis was looking at him with a mixture of concern and curiosity, his eyebrows arched delicately above his glasses. "Uh, no," he muttered, looking back to the television. "Just thinking." 

He could feel his face turning red, and hoped none of them were looking at them. The last thing he wanted was for Gladio and Prompto to find out he'd kissed Ignis. They'd tease him forever, he was sure. He didn't even know why he'd done it. Or... he sort of did, but his timing could have been better. Maybe. He'd never before imagined that Ignis could like him the way he liked Ignis, never seen any hint of it—though he'd certainly looked—and he'd never wanted to admit his feelings and mess up what friendship they had, or worse, have Ignis feel like he had to be in a relationship with Noct just because he was the prince. But in the tent, with Ignis' words, and Ignis' tears... it had suddenly felt different. As if maybe there was something there after all. He didn't know why, but he'd been overcome with this need for Ignis to know how he felt. 

He'd always been better with actions than words. 

And really, if it came down to it, he could always claim he'd just meant it in friendship and got carried away. Or blame it on the pain. Even if Ignis didn't buy it, he'd probably let it go and leave it at that. 

The thought left an ache, though—it surprised him to find how much he didn't want it to come down to that. 

* * *

Ignis had noticed Noct's staring around three. Having an idea of why, and uncomfortable about it, he'd called attention to it, hoping to get Noct focused on something else. Though they probably did need to talk, they couldn't very well do it with Prompto and Gladio around. But fifteen minutes later, Noct's gaze was back—the prince was never as subtle as he liked to think. This time, Gladio caught it as well, and while Prompto was busy cackling over his piles of gil, he raised an eyebrow at Ignis, the usual question in his eyes. 

Ignis scowled, and cut his eyes back and forth between Prompto and Gladio, before giving his customary slight head shake. Gladio tipped his head, looking thoughtful. 

At three thirty, Noct's eyes had drilled permanent holes into him, and Ignis was feeling thoroughly unnerved. He got up from the bed, pretending he needed to stretch, and then settled back down into one of the chairs with his phone; however, Noct's eyes simply followed him. Gladio glanced at Ignis, then at Noctis, and frowned. Ignis hastily yanked a magazine up from the coffee table and glued his eyes to it, acting as if nothing was amiss. 

By four, Gladio and Prompto had finally abandoned their poker game. Prompto, who was oblivious to all the silent drama going on in the room, decided he needed another shower because he still felt "way too gross after days of camping out, I feel like I fell in a swamp!" 

Ignis wrinkled his nose at the thought but nonetheless cursed himself in his head for not thinking of the excuse first. 

At four fifteen Prompto was back, and Noct was engaged in a fierce King's Knight battle with Gladio, his eyes focused firmly on the screen held in his hands. "Ooh! Me too, me too!" Prompto cried, yanking out his phone and running over to join them. Ignis made a mental note to buy Gladio a nice gift later. 

At four thirty, Ignis finally felt relaxed for the first time in an hour and a half. He stopped pretending he was interested in _Insomnian Scandal! Pampered Prince's Modern Mistress—Male!!!_ The old picture of Prompto and Noctis wasn't even a good one. Perhaps a cup of coffee wouldn't be remiss. He'd limit himself to one this time. 

By five, the coffee pot was empty and he was a nervous wreck again. He revised his mental note to getting all the ingredients for Gladio's least favourite meal instead. 

Even though it was late afternoon by that point, Gladio had talked Prompto into going to the shops with him for some more food. "We can get the ingredients Iggy needs to make one of Noct's favourites for dinner," he'd said, and Prompto had perked up immediately, bouncing to the door of their motel room with a grin on his face. 

Before they'd left, Gladio had looked at Ignis, then briefly over to Noct, before turning his gaze back to Ignis again. His meaning had been clear: talk to him. Ignis had nodded slightly, though he would have rather Gladio _not_ have created this opportunity for them, and now he and Noct were alone in the motel room. Noct was sprawled out on one of the beds again, on his stomach of course, his arms beneath the pillow he had his head buried in. Ignis sort of wished he were asleep, so he could avoid this talk, but he could tell by Noct's breathing that he wasn't. Failing that, he hoped that maybe Noct would start the talk, but despite all his earlier staring Noct showed no signs of wanting to talk about it. It was going to have to be up to him. 

"Noct?" 

"Mmm?" Noct murmured, not raising his head from the pillow. 

"Can we talk?" Ignis asked hesitantly, pretending to himself that he wasn't nervous. "About the other day?" 

There was silence for a long moment, and then Noct did raise his head, using his arms for support, twisting his upper body slightly to face Ignis, who was seated on the edge of the other bed to his left. "What about it?" 

"I..." He should have thought this through, before he started a talk. He had no idea what to say, or where to start. Did he ease slowly in to it, or did he need to be blunt? He'd known they were going to talk, why hadn't he come up with a plan? Like everything else about his feelings for Noct, it was really unlike him. Eventually he decided diving right in was the way to go. "I suppose I'm wondering what that kiss meant." 

Noct blushed, though to his credit he didn't hide his head back in the pillow. "It meant... I like you," he muttered. "And... I don't wanna leave you alone, ever." 

Fragile hope fluttered in his chest, his heart beginning to pound slightly harder with anticipation, beginning to override the nervousness. He ignored all the sensations, Noct's words not yet clear enough for him. "Was it meant to be sympathy?" he asked. "Or simple comfort?" 

Noct sat up swiftly on instinct, letting out a small grunt as the action aggravated his stitches, but he didn't lay back down. "No!" he said forcefully, looking at Ignis with one of the most serious looks on his face that Ignis had ever seen. "It wasn't like that. I—I _like_ you, Ignis. In ways that make my heart jump every time you come near me, or smile softly at me, or..." he trailed off, waving his hand around in vague indication, blushing in embarrassment. "I feel differently about you than I do Gladio or Prompto. I want more than friendship with you. I have for months now. Maybe even a year." 

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ignis asked him, stunned, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Noct had liked him for _months_ , possibly a _year_. He'd never once hinted... but then, neither had Ignis himself. 

"I didn't think you liked me back," Noct admitted, rubbing at the back of his neck nervously. "And I didn't want you to feel... I don't know, _obligated_ or anything, if I told you." 

Ignis laughed softly. "My duties as your advisor are numerous and varied, Noct, but that would never be one of them." 

"Yeah, well... I didn't want to ruin anything between us, either. But in the tent, when you were... upset, I just had this sense, like maybe..." Noct shrugged, wincing anew. 

"You weren't wrong," Ignis admitted softly. "I have harboured... feelings... for you, for some time now." 

"Why didn't _you_ say anything?" 

"It would have been an abuse of my position, then. You were still in high school. And I've always known that someday you would have to take a queen, and produce an heir to the Lucis Caelum line. Even now there is your wedding to Lady Lunafreya to consider." 

"That was because of the treaty," Noctis said immediately. "And obviously the Empire never intended for that to happen. I love Luna, but she's... she's more like a sister to me. I was willing to marry her, but it was because I wanted to protect Insomnia, not because I had any romantic feelings for her. Now that Insomnia's already fallen, there's no need of a marriage." 

"And what of an heir?" 

"Gotta have a kingdom first," Noct said, a touch self-deprecating. "And there are ways to have an heir that don't involve marriage." 

"I suppose so," Ignis said slowly. The hope was growing with Noctis' every word, getting harder to ignore, but as much as he wanted this, he still felt unsure. There were so many other things to consider. 

"Look, Iggy... Can't we just have this now, without having to figure every little detail out? Maybe when all this—" he waved a hand around the room, encompassing the 'this' that was their uncertain journey "—is over, maybe then we'll have time to figure it out. But right now I just wanna be with you, to have just one thing in my life that's uncomplicated and good." 

Ignis stared at him for a moment, the last words making his heart ache for Noct. Noct, who'd grown up pampered and adored and had been given any material thing he'd asked for, and had tons of people that would fall all over themselves to do anything for him... and had always yearned to be seen simply as 'Noctis,' not 'Noctis Lucis Caelum, the Prince.' Noct, who'd had to grow up under the weight of knowing that becoming king would mean his father was dead, and that protecting the city of Insomnia would come at the cost of shortening his own life. 

He'd had a million reasons for why they shouldn't, why it wouldn't be a good idea despite how much both of them apparently wanted it, but how could Ignis deny him? He couldn't, not after that. 

He got up and moved to the other bed, facing in front of Noct. He leaned in, ghosting his lips gently across Noct's. "Okay," he breathed against Noct's mouth, making Noct shiver at the tickling sensation. "For now, we can have this." He pressed harder, deepening the kiss, and Noct moaned, reaching his hands up to tangle his fingers in Ignis' hair. Ignis nipped softly at Noct's lower lip, tugging down, and Noct obediently opened his mouth, letting Ignis slide his tongue in, his own tongue moving forward to meet it, causing Ignis to let out a moan of his own. 

He still didn't know for sure what this would be, where it would go, but for once in his life he was content to let it be, to let go his need to have every possible outcome planned out for and every detail spelled out crystal clear. They could have this now, the one thing in both their lives that was uncomplicated and good. They had the rest of their lives to figure out the rest later. Noct had promised, after all. He wouldn't leave him alone. Ignis had faith in that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you know how sometimes when you're fighting monsters/daemons/whatever, and they'll grab you and you have to press O until you're free, unless one of the others rescues you? Yeah, this fic was born from that... It was supposed to be like this short little thing, maybe around a thousand words or so, where Noct gets caught and has a moment of panic thinking he might die before Prompto rescues him, and then he and Ignis both get all shaky afterwards before getting all sappy and fluffy with each other, but then it just turned into this... this _thing_ , this monster of a fic that just would not end. But, I actually am pretty happy with this fic.
> 
> Aaaaand, there is still more to this. I think of this as the main fic, and the next two parts will be like a "coda" of sorts, because they're not quite a sequel but I don't think of them as part of the "main" fic either. I have plans for most of the weekend, but I'll try to see about getting the first part of the coda up in a couple of days.
> 
> Oh, and my end-game this-makes-no-sense-whatsoever-headcanon is that Noct harnessed the power of the crystal to destroy the daemons inside Ardyn, but it didn't take ten years and Noct and his friends didn't die and Ignis isn't blind and they all rebuilt Insomnia and lived happily ever after together because fuck the game's ending ╥﹏╥


	4. Coda Part 01

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No long rambling notes this time. Hope you guys enjoy the first part of the coda.

"Ah... fuck, Ignis..." Noctis panted, letting out a quiet moan as Ignis rubbed his thumb over Noct's right nipple with just the right amount of pressure. He'd never thought being touched there could feel so _good_ , but the resulting sensations were shooting straight to his groin, leaving him hard and aching, arching his hips up on instinct, seeking friction that was aggravatingly absent.

Ignis said nothing, only leaned down to kiss him again, his lips warm and soft against Noct's as they explored each other. Noctis reached up, fisting a hand in Ignis' hair, wishing Ignis would move closer to him, wanting to feel Ignis' whole body pressed against his. Ignis' thumb never let up as they kissed, and he couldn't keep himself from moaning wantonly into the other man's mouth, every nerve in his body feeling as if it was on fire. 

Eventually Ignis pulled back, looking down at him, eyes half-lidded. Noct stared back up at him in daze, wide-eyed and flushed with arousal, lips still swollen with the bruising kisses Ignis had given him earlier. This was the furthest they'd gone so far, and he knew it was barely anything at all, but it still was so amazing. They got very little time alone together that Noct was happy with just about anything they did. 

"I would like to try something, if I may," Ignis murmured. 

Noctis took a moment to gather himself before responding, excitement and nervousness thrumming through him. "What?" 

Ignis hesitated, which made him even more nervous. Of course, being a virgin still, _everything_ new they did made him nervous, though he did his best not to let it show when they were together. It was embarrassing that he was twenty and had never gone beyond kissing with anyone, even if his status as the prince made it understandable. And though the other man hadn't said, Noctis was pretty sure Ignis wasn't a virgin. 

"It would involve taking your shirt off," Ignis finally said. He sounded so unsure of himself, which was very unusual. 

Yet Noct couldn't help but immediately tense at the request, shaking his head hard. He felt sick at the thought, and light-headed. He couldn't believe Ignis was even asking. Ignis knew he didn't... "No." 

"You would be on your back." 

He turned his head away from the other man, squeezing his eyes shut. The heat he'd felt coiling in his groin was gone now, all the arousal and excitement having completely left him in a rush. "I... I can't, Ignis." 

"Very well," Ignis said softly. "We do not have to. It was just a thought." 

He rolled onto his side, his back to Ignis, and curled up into a foetal position, saying nothing, feeling bad now. After a moment's quiet uncertainty, he felt the bed shaking as Ignis lay down next to him, and then Ignis' fingers were running slowly through his hair, soft and gentle. 

"I would never make you do anything you're not comfortable with." 

"I know," he said. And he did. He trusted Ignis completely. He knew how much Ignis cared for him, and he knew that the other man hadn't meant to upset him. Most of Noct even _wanted_ to do what Ignis asked. But right now, he just couldn't. 

* * *

That evening, after Gladio and Prompto had returned from the shop and Ignis had started on dinner, Noctis locked himself in the bathroom. He slid his shirt over his head, and then stared at himself in the small mirror over the sink. It was such an easy, simple thing, to just remove his shirt. He could do it when he was alone, so why couldn't he do it with Ignis? He sighed, remembering when they'd first started this relationship. He'd told Ignis he just wanted something in his life that was uncomplicated and good. He should have known nothing could ever be so simple, not when it came to him. 

"Nooooct!" That was Prompto's voice, coming impatiently through the door. "Hurry up! Some of us out here have to pee!" 

"Be right out," he called back, though he didn't make a move to put his shirt on. Instead, he pulled out his phone, flipping through the pictures on it until he found the one he wanted. He stared down at it, his chest tightening with unpleasant remembrance. 

It was the picture Prompto had taken of his back, that first day he'd awoken after the sahagin fight. He'd stolen his best friend's camera while he slept one night, and transferred the picture to his phone. When Prompto had asked about it later, he'd just casually remarked that he'd deleted it. Prompto had given him a strange look, but nothing more had been said. 

It had taken Noctis three weeks before his back had been well enough for him to move without pain. After the danger of infection had passed, Ignis had simply checked once a day to see how well the wounds were healing. It had made Noct increasingly uncomfortable, but he'd said nothing, knowing the necessity. He hadn't liked it though, knowing how bad his back must have been looking as it healed, and hating the thought of Ignis seeing it. Ignis never gave any indication that he was disgusted by what he was looking at, but Noct knew he must have been, even if he was too in control of himself to let on. 

After Ignis had taken the stitches out, roughly a month after he'd been injured, Noct had pulled his shirt back on and then never taken it off in front of his friends again. Even then, he still often worried that they could somehow see through it, see the ugliness that lay hidden beneath it. At those times, he really found himself missing his jacket, missing the extra layer it provided that he could hide behind. Ignis had told him it had been destroyed, though, and that he'd had to cut it off and throw it away. Noct had actually felt a pang of sorrow at that—it had been a gift from the Crownsguard, commissioned by his father for the trip. 

"Noooooct! Do I have to get Gladio to break the door down?" 

Noctis sighed, rolling his eyes as he quickly hit the 'home' button on his phone and then pulled his shirt back on. Yanking the door open, he childishly stuck his tongue out at Prompto before going over to one of the beds and collapsing backwards onto it. He didn't like to lay on his stomach, these days. 

"Finally!" Prompto quickly darted inside the now vacant room, slamming the door shut. 

Noctis stared up at the ceiling, ignoring the concern he could feel radiating out from both Ignis and Gladio. He wouldn't be surprised if Ignis had already told Gladio what happened this afternoon. He hated the thought of them talking about him, but he knew Ignis was only worried. And if Ignis had needed to talk about it, Noct couldn't really blame him—it was no different than the times he'd go to Prompto. 

He'd been mortified at first, when he'd asked Ignis if they could keep their new relationship a secret for the time being, and Ignis had confessed that Gladio already knew about it. But then he'd realised that Gladio hadn't made fun of him for it, or made any pointed remarks about it, and it would be nice to be able to act the way he really wanted around Ignis and not have to hide it. Of course, that also meant he'd had to tell Prompto—he knew how insecure his best friend still was, and if he didn't tell Prompto and Prompto found out on his own, he'd think they had all deliberately hidden it from him, and that he wasn't good enough to know, and that he wasn't good enough to be Noctis' best friend, and... well, Noctis knew how Prompto's insecurity spirals worked, and so he had made a point to tell him as soon as they had a moment alone. 

"Man, you and Iggy?" Prompto had laughed, causing Noct to scowl. 

"Is that so bad?" he'd asked, looking uncertainly at his best friend. 

"No, no!" Prompto had waved his hands around frantically, the freckles on his face standing out as he blushed. "It's great, buddy, really! If that's what you want, I'm happy for you. I just never thought Ignis swung that way." 

"Yeah." Noctis had laughed softly himself, then. "To be honest, I think he might swing both ways. I know he's dated a girl before, even though he tried to hide it from me." 

"Oh yeah, back when were in our second year of high school, right? Dude, you were so obsessed with how 'weird' he was being before you saw him with that girl, I can't believe I never caught on!" 

"Shut up." Noct had shoved at him playfully. "I didn't like him then." 

"You didn't realise you liked him then," Prompto had corrected, and Noct hadn't refuted him. 

"Dinner's ready," Ignis announced then, breaking into his thoughts. Noct listened to the others getting up and going into the kitchenette, but made no move to get up himself. 

"Noct? Are you eating?" Ignis asked. 

Noct rolled over, looking at the three of them briefly. "Not hungry," he muttered, and then felt bad when Ignis looked down at his own food, clearly upset. Being around Ignis right then was stressful, but he hadn't meant to upset him. 

Noct sighed, sitting up. He couldn't stand to be in the room any longer. "I'm going to get some fresh air." 

* * *

Prompto found him on the roof of the motel later, legs dangling over the edge as he sat and stared out into the darkness. 

"Hey," Prompto greeted him softly, sitting down next to him. 

"Hey." 

They were quiet for awhile, listening to the sounds of the night. There was a faint buzz from the lights of the motel, and the clink of moths flying into the bright bulbs could be heard every so often. The roar of a daemon far off in the distance made them both shiver, but Noct knew the lights would keep them safe. 

"Ignis told us what happened," Prompto finally said quietly. 

Noct sighed, and leaned into his best friend's side, taking comfort in Prompto's presence. "Yeah?" he asked, just to keep Prompto talking. 

"Well... not, you know, _details_ —" Noct knew if he looked up that Prompto's face would be bright red "—but he said he'd upset you by asking you to take your shirt off. Gladio and I could fill in the blanks." 

"Mmm." Noctis simply hummed, not sure what he could say to that. He knew that out of anyone, Prompto would have the most understanding of how he was feeling, but Noct really hadn't even begun to sort it out in his own head enough, to be able to put it in to words for anyone else. 

"Do you remember Lily?" Prompto asked suddenly, after another moment of silence. "From our class, last year of high school?" 

"That snooty girl who sat two seats behind you?" 

"Yeah." 

"What about her?" 

"She... um... you know, she almost was my first," Prompto admitted, turning his head away, his cheeks blazing. 

Noct straightened back up quickly, looking in surprise at his best friend. "Wait, really? I thought Amy was your first." 

"She was," Prompto said. "But Lily would have been, if I hadn't blew it." 

"What happened?" Noct asked quietly. 

Prompto shrugged, finally looking back towards him. "We made out for awhile. She gave me a blowjob. I somehow worked up the courage to finger her. Then she wanted to do it. I found that I couldn't bring myself to take my clothes off in front of her." 

Noctis frowned. "Because you were afraid to have sex?" 

"Because I was ashamed at the thought of her seeing how ugly I believed my body to be." 

At that, Noct tensed. It was his turn to look away now. He realised what Prompto was getting at, but he didn't want to admit it. He stared out over the parking lot instead. He still found himself amazed by how still the small towns were at night, sometimes. Insomnia had never been so quiet. "I don't think my body is ugly." It was a deflection, but he hoped it would be enough. 

"No, just your back." 

Noct sighed, and slumped against Prompto again, quiet for a bit. His best friend wasn't going to leave it alone. Noct knew that he wouldn't have, either, if the situation were reversed. "I don't want him to see it," he said eventually. "I don't want any of you guys to see it. I know it's stupid, but..." he trailed off, not sure how to explain what he was feeling. 

"Look, I get it. Really," Prompto assured him immediately. "You think I don't feel self-conscious still when you guys occasionally see my stretch marks? I look at them every day and think about how awful they are, and how much I hate them. But I have to remind myself that _you_ guys aren't judging me for them, or being disgusted by them the way I am. You're just seeing them as another part of me, no matter how ugly they make me feel." 

"I mean this in the most platonic, bro way possible, but you're gorgeous, Prompto, stretch marks or not." 

Prompto chuckled lightly. "Exactly my point. And don't you think Ignis would feel the same way about seeing you, scars or no? Except maybe with an 'I wanna pound you into the mattress' way instead of as a platonic bro." 

Noct groaned, his face flushing. "Prompto..." 

"I've seen the way he looks at you." Noct could hear the grin in Prompto's voice, even if he wasn't looking at him. "That man can't wait to rip all your clothes off and fuck you so hard you can't walk the next day." 

"Prompto!" Noct buried his head in Prompto's shoulder, his whole face flaming now. "You're talking to an innocent virgin here," he said, the words muffled but still understandable. 

His best friend laughed outright, then. "I never figured you for a prude." 

Noctis sat up at that, sniffing haughtily. "I'm royalty, it's expected for us all to be prudes." 

"Yeah right!" Prompto was still laughing, and Noctis couldn't help but feeling a little better, the exchange bringing a smile to his face. "Look," Prompto said, calming down some. "I know it's scary, letting Iggy see your scars for the first time. But I promise you, if he thinks anything about them at all, it'll only be amazement that you were strong enough to survive, and relief that you didn't die, and how glad he is to still have you in his life." 

"How do you know, though?" Noct asked, hearing the vulnerability in his tone and hating it. 

"Because... Because that's what I feel about them, even without seeing them. And I'm not even in love with you." 

"Prompto..." Noctis was touched, and found he didn't know what to say. They fell silent for awhile, and eventually Noct pulled out his phone, fiddling with it but not actually turning it on. 

"I know you didn't delete that picture, you know." Prompto paused. "The camera has a recycle bin." 

"Oh." Noct hadn't known that, and felt a little embarrassed, realising that Prompto had known he'd lied from the start. "It's... on my phone." 

"Yeah. I kinda guessed." 

"To tell you the truth..." Noct started slowly, before hesitating. He could feel his heart start to beat faster in anxiety. He still didn't really want to talk about this. But he wanted to be able to do things with Ignis, and he wanted to be able to do a simple thing like pull his shirt off without feeling like he was going to be sick. "I haven't even seen the scars," he finally admitted lowly. 

Prompto frowned. "You haven't? Not with your phone camera in the mirror?" 

Noctis shook his head. "Whenever I think about it, I look at that picture you took, at all the stitches and how the wounds still weren't even completely closed with them, and all the other scratches around them, a-and my old scars all messed up..." He stopped for a moment, swallowing hard. His stomach was twisted up in knots, feeling sick and scared at what he was saying. But it was Prompto, his best friend in the whole world, the one person he'd always been able to talk to. And Prompto understood in this, more than anything else about him. So he went on. "I look at that picture, and I imagine how bad the new scars must be, and then I get too scared to actually look. It... it looked bad, before, right? From the daemon attack when I was little. I know it has to be even worse now. And then I think, if I can't even bear to look at it, how could Ignis...?" 

"Noct..." Prompto's voice was pained, and sad, but also full of understanding. It was enough to give him the courage to keep talking still. 

"But... I don't want it to be between us, getting in the way, and really, I think that you're probably right—" 

"Aren't I always?" Prompto gently nudged him, teasing him, though there was still a hint of sorrow in his voice. 

"—about Ignis," Noct continued, as if his friend hadn't spoken. "So do you think... you could take another picture?" 

"Of... of your back?" Prompto squeaked, sounding startled by the request. "M-me? You'd let me see?" 

Noctis took a deep breath. "Yeah." He wasn't sure, really, that he could go through with it. But Prompto seeing seemed easier somehow, and Noct figured it could be like a trial run before Ignis. Only without all the making out. 

"I'm happy to help, buddy, you know that." Prompto bumped shoulders with him again, giving him a smile. "But where did you want to do this? The lighting's not good out here, and the motel room won't work, for obvious reasons." 

"Hmm... the bathroom?" 

"Oh that's definitely gonna get us some strange looks," Prompto sighed. 

Noctis simply shrugged. 

* * *

Prompto was right, of course. Gladio's eyebrows rose almost to his hairline when they came in some time later and Prompto grabbed his camera out of his bag, starting into the bathroom after Noct, and the curious look on Ignis' face wasn't much better. They ignored the reactions, however, and Noct firmly shut the door once they were both in. 

"You sure about this?" Prompto asked softly, taking a seat on the lid of the closed toilet and staring up at Noct. 

"No," Noctis admitted. "But I've spent the past month worrying about it, and... I don't want it to mess things up with me and Iggy." 

"Do you want me to try and do it quick? I won't look much." 

"...You can look," Noct said, his mouth suddenly dry. He felt like he might throw up. 

"Okay." Prompto fiddled with his camera for a minute, and then held it up, nodding at Noctis. "Whenever you're ready." 

Noctis toyed with the hem of his shirt, and glanced at the mirror. His face stared back at him, pale and fearful. He didn't like the look on himself. If he ever managed to take Insomnia back, there'd be a lot more scary things he'd likely have to face. He didn't want something as small as this to conquer him. 

Taking a deep breath, he pulled his shirt off in one fluid moment, and then turned his back to face Prompto, squeezing his eyes shut tight as if that would somehow help. At his side, his hands were clenched into fists, his nails digging slightly into the soft skin of his palms. His heart was pounding so fast and loud that he was sure Ignis and Gladio could hear it from outside. 

Behind him, Prompto was quiet. Noct wondered with a dizzy sort of terror what his best friend was thinking. Maybe his back really was that hideous, and Prompto was regretting helping him... Then he heard the quiet snick of the camera button, and let out the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. "It really is amazing that you survived," Prompto said in a hush as he took a second picture. "I wasn't sure we'd helped you in time." 

"Ignis told me you shot the one who clawed me." 

"Yeah," Prompto said distractedly as he took a third shot. Noct wondered why he needed that many. "Okay, I'm done." 

At those words, Noct yanked his shirt back on so fast he almost fell over. He turned around once he was finished, forcing himself to look at Prompto, afraid of what he might see on his best friend's face. Prompto met his eyes easily, smiling at him, no trace of revulsion anywhere. "I don't think it's nearly as bad as you've probably been imagining," Prompto told him, holding out the camera. 

Noctis took it hesitantly, looking down at the screen with trepidation. The first picture was a shot of his whole back. There were three long scars raked down the length of it, each somewhat wide and shiny-looking in the middle with the ends tapering off slightly, and still red around the edges where they hadn't completely finished healing. He found himself surprised by how... not terrible the sight really was, though looking at them still made him upset. But the scars were smooth and flat all the way down, something he hadn't expected. The remnants of his old raised scars were still there, woven in between the new ones at an angle, giving his back a strange sort of criss-cross pattern. 

"I think it's kind of neat, actually," Prompto commented, gesturing to the camera. "The way they overlap, it looks cool." 

Noct glanced up at him, thinking Prompto was just trying to be nice. But there was only sincerity in his best friend's blue eyes. It helped. 

He flipped to the next picture, which turned out to be merely a zoomed-in shot on the upper half of his back, letting him see a little more clearly, and making him realise that the new scars were actually sunken in somewhat, as if the new tissue had formed a layer below the rest of his skin. The third was a similarly zoomed-in shot of his lower back, and after studying it a moment he handed the camera back to Prompto. "Thanks." 

"No problem!" Prompto flashed a grin at him. "So?" 

"So... they're not as bad as I thought..." Noct said slowly, as the knots in his stomach gradually loosened. "But... I still don't like them. And... I'm still afraid of Ignis seeing." 

Prompto's smile turned sympathetic. "I think that's normal, bro. But even if you're afraid, do you think you _could_ show him now, if he asked?" 

"Maybe?" He lifted a shoulder helplessly, let it drop back down. "It would still be hard." 

"Noct. When you have ever let that stop you?" Prompto laughed. 

Noct smiled, some of the tension draining out of him. "Yeah," he said. "You're right." 

"Told you, dude, I always am."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't really know what kind of scars Noct would end up with, and trying to google was... a mistake. Agh. So I wound up basing them on a scar of my own, because even though mine was just one gash on my arm on a much smaller scale, it was still deep enough to see layers. And once again, I'm not a doctor, so I just made shit up about Noct's healing time. Sorry!
> 
> Once again, thanks for all the kudos/bookmarks/comments, they make me happy! (≧▽≦)
> 
> I'll try to have the final part up either Monday evening or Tuesday whenever I wake up (and it IS the final part for real this time, really!).


	5. Coda Part 02

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a little later than I intended, but I blame the latest update on the game... that new timed hunt is amazing for exp farming. Anyways, here is the final part. Hope it doesn't disappoint!

The next few days left very little time for Noct to think about the scars on his back, or worry over Ignis' reaction to them. The morning after Prompto took the pictures, Cor sent mysterious coordinates to Noct's phone with no explanation, and after driving half the day to the location, the four of them discovered it was an Imperial Base. Prompto wanted to rush in immediately and start taking MTs out left and right (and Noct was right there with him, he had to admit), but Ignis, ever the strategist, convinced them to retreat to a nearby haven and come up with a plan of attack.

It wouldn't be the first battle Noctis had fought since recovering from the sahagins, but it would be the first that would be on—potentially—a large scale again, and the first where they'd have a good chance of getting separated, or not able to come to another's aid right away. He could admit, if only to himself, that it made him nervous—he was afraid of what could happen, knowing now that it only took an instant. Still, taking out the base would be a good blow to the Empire, and Cor had sent the coordinates for a reason. 

Fortunately, his fears turned out to be unfounded. Though they'd lost the element of stealth halfway through—Prompto had tripped up some stairs, and the clattering of his boots on the metal had alerted the sentries—they'd managed to stick together, and no one had sustained any injuries that a hi-potion couldn't take care of. They'd trekked back to the camp once the base was cleared out, exhausted and dirty, but in high spirits from their victory. 

"Man, that was so awesome!" Prompto exclaimed gleefully as they sat around the fire Gladio had quickly got going. "We rocked that base _hard_! The Empire will be hurting after this! Right, Noct?" 

Noct gave his friend a tired smile, wishing he could share in his enthusiasm. "Yeah," he said, looking at the tent and wishing longingly for a motel. Or perhaps the inn back at Galdin Quay—those had been some of the softest beds he'd ever slept on, including his bed at the palace. Still, by the time his body hit the bedroll half an hour later, he was so worn out that he barely felt the hard ground, and within a couple of minutes he was fast asleep. 

He woke the next morning sore and aching, and the scars in his back felt oddly as if they were throbbing. Perhaps he'd overdone it some yesterday. He washed a couple of painkillers down with his coffee, and hoped that would be enough. 

"We'll need to take on a few hunts today, for a bit of extra gil," Ignis told them over breakfast. "We're starting to run a little low." 

Noctis sighed, slumping down in his chair, and resigned himself to a day of pain. 

* * *

"Noct! Look out!" 

Noct whirled around at Prompto's shout, just in time to see the sharp and gleaming claws of the coeurl posed behind him strike down, only to catch in Gladio's shield as the man hurled himself lightning fast in front of Noctis. Noct stared for a moment, wide-eyed, and then Gladio's grunt as he strained to hold the beast off snapped him out of it. Noct quickly tossed his sword at a rock off to the right of the beast, warping after it, and then followed it up with another warp to the coeurl's flank, driving his sword in deep. It gave out a loud, pained roar, but Noct didn't let up, even as Ignis rushed over to join in. Between his sword and Ignis' daggers, it didn't take long, and soon the beast was lying sprawled out in the dust, blood pooling around its dead body. 

"...Thanks," Noct muttered at Gladio, feeling awkward. He hadn't been raised to say the word much, but he'd been making an effort to be more polite since they'd started this road trip. It felt unnatural to him, but he didn't want to be seen as a spoiled brat. 

Gladio grinned at him. "Figured you didn't need any more scars back there." 

"I... y-yeah." 

Gladio bent down, yanking a few whiskers out of the coeurl's muzzle—Cid had requested them, though Noct couldn't see how they'd be helpful—and then straightened up again, ready to move on to the next hunt. 

Back in the Regalia, Noct snuck a glance at Gladio, who was relaxing in the seat next to him, seemingly enjoying the breeze of the warm day as they pulled out of Secullam Pass. The way Gladio had spoke so casually back there about his scars had thrown him off. No one had exactly been tiptoeing around him, but until he'd talked with Prompto the other night none of them had directly mentioned them, either. He didn't know how Gladio could be so casual. 

Then again, Gladio had never seemed too bothered with his own scar, so maybe it just wasn't a big deal to him. Of course, he hadn't been given a choice to hide it away behind clothing, but Noct had never seen Gladio act self-conscious or ashamed about it, not since the day he'd received the injury. How did Gladio find the confidence? 

He glanced to the front of the car. Both of his companions up there were quiet, Ignis focused on his driving while Prompto snapped pictures of the passing landscape. They'd easily hear every word he said to Gladio. Frowning, he pulled out his phone instead, pulling up Gladio's contact screen. 

_Does your face bother you?_ he sent, and then stared blankly at his phone, realising that had _not_ come out the way he'd intended. Beside him, Gladio let out a snort as he read the message. _I meant your scar_ , he added quickly. 

_Yeah, I got it Your Highness._

_Well?_

There was no immediate response, and Noct drummed his fingers on the side of the car impatiently as he waited. After what felt like forever, his phone vibrated with a new message. 

_No. I choose to think of it as a trophy. It says I was in a fight and came out victorious, the better man. It's a source of pride for me._

Noct sighed as he read his shield's message. It made sense for Gladio, but it didn't help him one bit. He didn't think he could ever see his scars as a trophy, or something to take pride in. They didn't say he was a better man. They said he was so pathetic he'd gotten his ass handed to him by a couple of sahagins and barely made it out alive. 

_Iggy's not gonna care about your scars_ , came a second message. _He cares about YOU. He cares that you lived._

Noct glanced up. Gladio met his eyes steadily, holding his gaze deliberately. Eventually Noct couldn't take it, and lowered his head. Now he had both Prompto _and_ Gladio essentially telling him the same thing. Maybe it was time he started believing in their words a little more. 

* * *

With two more hunts under their belt, Noctis and his companions finally called it a day. After much begging and pleading, and one sad-faced look from Noct, Prompto managed to convince Gladio that a motel would be better that evening than camping out again, though Noct was baffled as to why Gladio had muttered about "stupid puppies" after he'd agreed. Still, he wasn't going to complain—he didn't think he could handle another night of sleeping on the ground. 

So settled, they headed back to Longwythe, and rented the same motel room they'd had a couple of days ago. Once they got in, Noct immediately flopped onto his back on one of the beds, wincing at the twinges of pain he felt. 

"Who's up for the diner?" Prompto asked cheerfully, looking around at everyone. 

"I'll go," Gladio said. "Could use some grub." 

"Not me," Noct said. "I'm staying right here." 

"I shall stay behind as well," Ignis said after a moment's hesitation, and a glance at Noct. "Greasy diner food just doesn't sound appealing right now, I'm afraid." 

"You guys just wanna make out," Prompto said with a grin, ignoring the faint flush that stole across Ignis' cheeks and the groaning cry of "Prompto..." from Noctis. 

Gladio looked at the two of them, chuckling. "I think you're right, Prompto. Come on, we better leave them alone." 

"We are _not_ going to make out!" Noct called after them as they shut the door. His best friend's laughter drifted back to him, and he rolled his eyes. Once they were gone, he tried to lie down for a few minutes and just rest, but his scars were aching again, and the pressure on them was slowly climbing from 'uncomfortable' to 'unbearable.' 

Giving up, he sat up with a grimace, hissing out a low breath of annoyance. 

"Is everything alright, Noct?" Ignis asked, glancing up from his phone. 

"Yeah. Just..." he paused as Ignis finally stepped away from the door and sat down on the end of the bed next to him. "Back's hurting." 

"Is it something to be concerned about?" 

He shook his head. "Nah." 

"They've been healing okay?" 

"I think so, yeah," Noct told him, shrugging casually. There was silence for a moment, and Noct glanced at him curiously, surprised Ignis was going to let it drop easily. Or perhaps not. Ignis had an uncertain look on his face, as if he was considering how best to word something he knew Noct wouldn't like. Noctis was well familiar with the look. He'd seen it almost every day in high school right before Ignis would lecture him. But why that look would be on Ignis' face now, Noct had no idea. He didn't think Ignis would ask to look at his back, not after what had happened a few nights ago. 

"Have you looked at the wounds since the stitches came out?" Ignis finally asked, his tone hesitant. 

Oh. That was why. "Yeah," he said quietly. "Prompto took a pic with his camera the other night." 

"Ah. In the bathroom?" 

"Yeah," he said again. 

"I see." 

Ignis was quiet, then, and Noct wondered what he was thinking. He hoped Ignis wasn't upset, that he'd let Prompto see before him. He didn't think Ignis would be, Ignis knew how close he and Prompto were, and he didn't really seem like the type to get jealous anyway. But the other day had been awkward, and upsetting for them both, though he knew Ignis had been upset over how upset _he'd_ gotten, and upset that he'd been the one to cause it, not upset because Noctis wouldn't let him see. 

Still, he couldn't help wondering if Ignis _was_ bothered by Noctis not letting him see. Maybe... maybe he should go ahead and let Ignis look. He wasn't really sure yet that he was ready, but he didn't like the thought of it hanging between them. "I've been wanting to talk to you, actually," he said slowly, pulling his legs up onto the bed and wrapping his arms around them. He rested his head on his knees and tried to figure out where to start. 

Ignis was quiet, letting him gather his thoughts, but when the silence stretched on, he spoke. "I'm always willing to listen whenever you need to talk, Noct," he said softly. 

"I know, but... I don't really know how to begin," he muttered. 

"Perhaps the beginning would be a good place," Ignis said with a wry smile. 

"There isn't really one. Just... I do want you to see, Iggy." 

"Your back?" 

"Yeah." Noct nodded jerkily, his chin banging against his kneecaps. "It's just that... I get scared." 

"Of what?" 

"That you'll be disgusted, or not want to look at me anymore..." The words were softly spoken, but they still cut harsh across the quiet room. 

"Noct... that could never happen." Ignis' voice was firm, and full of conviction, and Noctis wanted to believe him _so badly_. But something in his head kept stopping him. 

"You know, I could have asked Prompto to take a picture for me to see any time. But until he talked to me, I was too afraid to see them. I thought they were going to be really horrible. And—and they're not pretty. But they're not so terrible either," Noct admitted. 

"But still, you hate them," Ignis guessed. 

"Yeah. And the thought of pulling my shirt off and letting you look makes me feel like I'm about to be sick, or have a panic attack." 

"Noct, I don't have to—" 

"Yes you do," Noct interrupted him, lifting his head to look over at Ignis, his eyes blazing dark with determination. "Prompto and I talked a lot, and he made me realise that you won't see them the way I do. And that I don't want this to be something that gets in the way." 

"I don't want you to feel that you _have_ to show me." 

"It's not like that. I'm doing it as much for myself as for you. And... I think I'm ready for you to see them." 

Ignis looked startled, as if he hadn't expected for Noct to show him _now_. "Are you sure? Gladio and Prompto—" 

Noctis shook his head at him, unwrapping one arm to grab his phone out of his pocket to type a message to Prompto. _Gonna show him. Stay awhile?_

The reply was almost instantaneous. _No prob! 40 min? U can do it! (≧▽≦)_

Noct blinked at the phone. Forty minutes? What exactly did Prompto think they were gonna get up to? Still, he and Ignis got so little time alone, he wasn't going to complain. _Sure. Thx._

Ignis watched him curiously, until Noct finally set the phone down on the bed beside him. "We have forty minutes," Noct said. Ignis' eyebrows rose, but he chose not to comment. 

He reached for his shirt, and then glanced to Ignis, hesitating. He hadn't even started and he was already feeling sick. There was a hard lump of anxiety low in his stomach, and his heart had started up that familiar too-loud fast pounding. He felt hot, and dizzy. He was sure that if he could see himself in the mirror, his face would be pale. 

"Noct..." Ignis was sounding worried, and Noct didn't like it. He didn't want Ignis to worry about him. Quickly, before he could think too much about it, he pulled his shirt over his head, and then curled up around his knees again. "Noct, you're trembling," Ignis murmured. 

Noct took a deep breath. "It's okay," he said, though his voice came out strained. "I want you to see. Please." 

There was a long moment of hesitation, and then Noct felt the bed shake as Ignis moved behind him. Ignis was quiet, and like with Prompto, Noctis squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to worry about what Ignis might be thinking. He took deep, steadying breaths in an attempt to calm himself. He was terrified, what if Prompto had been wrong and Ignis really _was_ put off by them, what if he never wanted to touch Noct again, or didn't want to be with him at all anymore, what if— 

"May I touch them?" Ignis asked then, his voice hushed, and Noctis exhaled heavily. He took another deep breath and told himself firmly to stop panicking. "G-go ahead," he said. He liked the idea even less than just having Ignis look at them, but he had the feeling it could help them both. 

A pause, and a rustle of fabric as Ignis removed a glove, and then gentle fingers were resting lightly in the middle of his back. Noctis shuddered once, all over. Seconds later he felt Ignis' soft fingers trailing down his back, stopping just above the waistband of his pants, where he knew the scars to end, before making their way back up again, all the way up to the middle of his shoulder blades, where they started. Noct had expected it to feel different from having the rest of his skin touched, and it did, a little—but it wasn't a bad thing. Ignis repeated the motion a few more times, and Noct's trembling began to cease, some of the tension draining out of him as Ignis didn't get up and run screaming out of the room in horror. 

"I was afraid I'd lost you that day," Ignis said quietly, continuing to caress Noctis. 

"Mmm. But you didn't," Noct mumbled, slowly relaxing. He was surprised to find that Ignis' touch was starting to feel good. The whole moment was rather nice—intimate, but not at all sexual. 

"And I'm very glad of it." He moved his hand over to the left scar, tracing around the outer edges of it. Noct tried not to melt into the bed. Why had he been so scared of this? 

Suddenly, Ignis shifted so that he was next to Noctis on the bed again, though facing him this time, so that he could still reach Noct's back. "Noct." 

"Hmm?" He looked over at Ignis. Ignis' face was serious—not an uncommon look for him, but when they were alone Ignis usually allowed himself to show a little more emotion. So for Noct to see it now... Most of his anxiety had disappeared, but there was still that tiny ball of it that lingered, and it fretted that Ignis was about to say something bad. 

"When I look at these—" Fingers ran down the length of the middle scar for emphasis, and Noct couldn't help the tremor that resulted, both from the sensation and the worry over what Ignis was about to say "—I don't see ugliness, or feel revulsion. Do you know what I see?" 

"Uh... scars?" 

"I see a reminder of your strength," Ignis told him quietly. "I see someone who went through something terrible—twice—and managed to come out of it alive. I look at your scars and feel nothing but relief that I didn't lose you." 

"I..." Noct bit down on his lower lip, feeling speechless, and embarrassingly on the verge of tears. Prompto and Gladio had been right after all, but Noct hadn't been able to completely believe them. Until now. "I'm sorry," he finally choked out, not even entirely sure what he was apologising for. 

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Thank you for trusting in me enough to show me." 

"I... fuck, Ignis—" Uncurling, Noct turned and flung himself towards the other man, wrapping his arms around Ignis in a tight hug and burying his face into his shoulder. Ignis froze, caught off guard and probably a little unnerved with the sudden display of affection that was typically out of character for either of them. Noct didn't let go though, and after a moment he felt Ignis' arms raise up, somewhat stiff, and then slowly and carefully enfold him in a return hug. Noct sighed into Ignis, all the anxiety completely gone for the first time. He knew he wasn't going to suddenly start liking the scars himself, and that'd he probably still be self-conscious and weird about them at times, but knowing that Ignis accepted them made it a lot easier to deal with. 

They held each other for awhile longer, and then Noct felt Ignis shifting uncomfortably, and reluctantly drew back from the embrace, already missing the warmth of Ignis' body against his the second he let go. "Sorry," he muttered, abruptly feeling embarrassed. "I didn't mean—" 

Ignis shook his head, smiling softly at him, his green eyes warm behind his glasses. "Don't apologise. My arms were simply going numb." 

"Oh." Noct laughed a little, and then reached out for his phone, checking the time. They still had about twenty minutes before Gladio and Prompto were meant to return. It would have been enough time to make out like Prompto had accused them of, but for once the thought held no appeal to Noct, at least not right then. Actually, what really sounded good was a nap. All the emotions he'd experienced in the last several minutes, not to mention the last few days, left him feeling worn and drained, and combined with the day's battles, curling up with Ignis and going to sleep sounded wonderful. 

A yawn escaped him before he could help it, and Ignis looked at him, amusement in his face. "Sleepy, Noct?" 

"A little," Noct answered honestly. "Lay with me?" He reddened, a little self-conscious about asking so boldly. 

Ignis reached out, adjusting his shirt. It had fallen partially down his back when Noct had thrown himself at Ignis, but now Ignis tugged it the rest of the way down, straightening it out so Noct was covered once more. He then moved towards the head of the bed, settling himself down on his side, and looked inquiringly at Noct. 

Noct needed no more invitation. He scooted until he was next to Ignis, and then lay down as well, pressing until his back was firmly against Ignis' chest, and Ignis' right arm was laying loosely over him, the palm of Ignis' hand resting comfortably against his stomach. The other man's head was curled into his neck, and he could feel warm, gentle breaths brushing across the back of it in a slow, steady rhythm. Noct exhaled slowly, closing his eyes as sleep began to settle over him. He felt safe and cared for. "Love you," he murmured, hardly aware of what he was saying. 

Behind him, there was a startled intake of breath, and then he felt a light kiss against the top of his spine. "Love you too," Ignis whispered softly, and then Noct's breathing evened out as he finally fell asleep. 

When Gladio and Prompto returned from the diner fifteen minutes later, they found Noct and Ignis both asleep, cuddled up together on top of the blankets. The two of them glanced at each other, and then Prompto whipped out his camera, a gleeful smile on his face. "Picture time! I think this moment deserves to be preserved, don't you?" 

Gladio simply smirked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand there you have it! I'm actually sad that's it over. I had a lot of fun writing this particular fic. Although, to be honest, I found it challenging to keep the characterisation at least mostly accurate. I played with English audio for my first playthrough, but my second, which I've been on since mid-January, has been the Japanese audio, and there's juuuuust enough little differences with Ignis that it was hard to keep him in line with the English version. So everyone that's commented positively on my characterisation, well... it means a lot. I know it's not perfect, but I try.
> 
> And a big, big thank you to all who read and everything else! :D I really appreciate it!


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